Lakewood Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer

If you have suffered injuries in a Lakewood hit and run accident, you should not have to suffer financially on top of your physical pain when someone else caused your injuries. An experienced Lakewood hit and run accident lawyer can investigate your accident and diligently pursue the maximum compensation possible for your situation.

Leaving the Scene After a Lakewood Traffic Crash

In Colorado, like every other state, it's illegal to leave the scene of an accident without providing information to the other people involved. Drivers who flee face criminal charges on top of potential civil lawsuits if they caused the accident. However, drivers can leave the accident scene to seek immediate medical treatment or directly go to the local police station to report an accident.

In all other cases where there is significant property damage, bodily injury, or a fatality, drivers must wait at the accident scene until law enforcement arrives. A driver who hits a parked car must leave their contact, vehicle, and insurance information for the vehicle's owner to find. In minor fender-benders, involved drivers can exchange contact and insurance information without contacting the police and waiting for them to come to the scene.

Why Do Drivers Leave the Crash Scene?

If you fell victim to a hit and run driver, you likely feel anger and a host of other negative emotions. Understanding their motivation might help you cope with your emotional distress and help your lawyer build a case against the driver. Some reasons that drivers flee the scene of an accident could include:

• No auto insurance or unpaid insurance premiums
• Fear of increased insurance premiums
• Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Driving on a suspended or revoked license
• Fear of license suspension or revocation
• Transporting illegal substances or stolen property
• Medical emergency

A Lakewood hit-and-run accident attorney can investigate your accident to uncover the facts and help build a strong case against the driver who caused your injuries.

Lakewood Hit and Run Accidents and Uninsured Motorist Insurance

Colorado does not require drivers to carry uninsured motorist coverage, but it does require auto insurance companies to give them the option. If you have uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, you can recover damages up to your policy limit, even if law enforcement does not locate the hit and run driver who harmed you. UM coverage kicks in when a hit and run accident occurs. Your insurance company will investigate the accident as if it were any other accident and determine whether to approve or deny your claim. 

Our experienced Lakewood hit and run accident lawyers can help you through the claims process and communicate with the insurance company while you focus on recovering. In the event that law enforcement or the insurance company's investigator locates the hit and run driver, they will seek compensation from the driver to reimburse them for any benefits they have paid out on your policy.

Seeking Compensation for Hit and Run Accident Injuries

You can only sue the hit and run driver who caused the accident and your injuries if you can identify them. If you know the identity of the driver, you can bring a lawsuit against them for damages related to the accident and your injuries.

Each accident has different facts and circumstances that affect the type of damages someone might receive. Common damages in a hit and run accident claims include compensation for:

• Medical expenses and potential future medical expenses if your accident led to long-term injuries
• Costs for specialized treatment, including physical therapy or mental health services
• Lost income or future income capacity
• Pain and suffering
• Mental anguish
• Loss of consortium with a spouse
• Reduced quality of life
• Punitive damages if a court wants to punish the hit and run driver for leaving the scene of the accident

Your Lakewood hit and run accident attorney can review the circumstances of the accident and your injuries and advise you on which damages apply to your injury claim. If you have lost a family member in a Lakewood hit and run accident, your Lakewood personal injury attorney can also answer questions about a wrongful death claim. Eligible surviving family members can receive compensation for some of the damages above. They can also receive compensation for funeral and burial expenses.

Contact a Lakewood Hit and Run Accident Attorney Today at Mintz Law Firm

If you sustained injuries in a Lakewood hit and run accident, you need someone in your corner to advocate for you and potentially help you find the hit and run driver who left the accident scene. The experienced lawyers at Mintz Law Firm have experience helping hit and run accident victims and dealing with insurance companies who do not like to pay claims.Contact us online or call (303) 462-2999 to discuss the details of your accident and your injuries and how they have impacted your life. Our team can help advise you on the best course for your circumstances.