Road safety has become a big problem in Ottawa. Last year only, 14,394 reportable collisions occurred, an increasing number of which were a hit and run accident. Often enough, the people involved in a hit and run do not know how to react due to the trauma. However, knowing how to react, what to do, who to call, and how to handle oneself in a hit and run accident, is very important. There are some steps that need to be followed after a hit and run accident, in order to correctly handle the situation.
1. Try to stay calm, collected and awake (if you suffered a concussion).
2. If you are in a car, shut off the engine and try to make your way out of the car, to a safe distance.
3. Try to sit upright or at least have your head elevated from the rest of your body if you are lying down.
4. Call 911 or any other emergency helpline to get medical and police assistance immediately on the spot.
5. Try to observe, find out and remember as much information about the accident as you can such as time, location, car details (make, model, color, license plate number, etc.) of the driver who fled the crime scene.
6. Ask others near the crime scene who had witnessed the accident if they remember details about the driver or car involved in the accidents.
7. Stay at the crime scene until the police and paramedics arrive, unless you are seriously injured, in which case you need to call the police and inform them about your whereabouts immediately. Any driver who flees the crime scene after an accident is fined between $400 to $2,000 according to the Ontario law.
8. Take photographs of the crime scene, damages, car (especially if there is paint of another car visible on it) to use as evidence for an insurance claim and to give to your lawyer, if want to sue the fled driver for damages.
9. Report the incident to a collision-reporting centre regardless of the seriousness of the incident, and provide all the necessary details about the car, accident, driver and even information about the witnesses.
10. Wait for the police and try to recall the accident so you can properly explain what happened to the police.
11. Even if you are not seriously hurt, you still need to go to the hospital for a general examination to see if there are any unseen damages such as a concussion, broken bones, sprains, or internal bleeding.
One thing that you should keep in mind is that some insurance companies have a policy that requires you to report a hit and run accident within a specific amount of time if you want your claim to be considered. Therefore, it is important that you find out the exact requirements of your insurance company in case you are involved in a hit and run.
Once you have successfully followed all the steps that need to be completed after getting involved in a hit and run accident, then you need to give your lawyer a call. Let him or her know exactly what happened and consult with them what the best course of action is especially if you want to file for damages against the other driver. The lawyer will correctly guide you through the process and will try to help get your sentence or fine reduced in case you are at fault.
If you are looking for a good personal injury lawyer in Ontario, Canada, who efficiently and successfully deals with hit and run accidents, then reach out to our team of highly qualified and experienced lawyers at Badre Law.