Any variety of accident requires a similar approach: you need to call the police to have an accident report made and then talk to your insurance company about the aftermath. However, if your accident turns into a hit-and-run accident due to the other driver fleeing the scene, this complicates the matter.
As with any accident, if somebody has sustained an injury you must call 911 in the aftermath of a hit-and-run accident. However, according to State Farm, you absolutely should not chase off after the fleeing driver and you should talk to eyewitnesses.
Why should I not chase after the culprit?
If you chase off after the culprit in the aftermath of a hit-and-run, you may place yourself in a compromising position. You may confuse any eyewitnesses if they see both cars driving off after the accident; it could cause the police to wonder who was actually at fault.
Rather than chasing off after the culprit, you should stay and document the scene of the accident. Of course, you should call for emergency services if necessary and you should move your car out of the path of traffic, but you should stay put.
How can the eyewitnesses help?
Many people carry smartphones, which means it is possible that an eyewitness either got a video or an image of the fleeing driver. If an eyewitness has a picture of the culprit’s car or, better yet, the license plate, it will be relatively easy for the police to track down who the culprit is.
Additionally, having multiple stories that corroborate your version of events will be very important for insurance purposes and potential legal follow up.
