How Hiring a Lawyer Helps Following a Clearwater Hit-and-Run Accident

Clearwater, Florida, has a lot going for it. You may enjoy lying on the beach and swimming in the ocean. You can find plenty of fine dining and shopping opportunities. You can book a stay at some of the city’s best hotels or spas. If you live in Clearwater and drive around frequently, you know you can sometimes encounter a reckless driver. Some people speed, while others act aggressively. Someone might hit your car with their vehicle and then flee the scene before the police show up.

If that happens, you should consider hiring a car accident lawyer. We will talk about some ways the right attorney can help you after a Clearwater hit-and-run collision right now.

What Should You Do After a Hit-and-Run Collision?

You should know what steps to take after a hit-and-run accident, so we will speak about that briefly. Attempt to get your vehicle completely off the road. If you can’t do that, at least get yourself to safety before calling 911.

If you have your smartphone on you, calling 911 can alert both the police and paramedics about what happened. When the police get there, you can tell them about the car that hit you and drove away.

After you file a police report, you can decide whether you need to head to a hospital or not. You can call a tow truck for your vehicle if you need it, and then you can contact your insurance company to report the accident. Now, let’s go over about why hiring a car crash lawyer in Clearwater after a hit-and-run accident makes sense.  

Your Lawyer Can Instruct You Regarding How to Proceed

You might not know how best to proceed following a hit-and-run accident. Maybe the collision shook you up, and you feel unable to resume your everyday life.

Your lawyer has dealt with these situations before, and they might recommend a doctor that you can see. Even if you didn’t suffer any physical injuries, you might have to deal with some psychological trauma after the accident. The right mental health professional should help you start getting over the crash.

Your lawyer can also start investigating the car wreck. Even if the police haven’t found the hit-and-run driver yet, your attorney might have an investigator on staff who can give this case their undivided attention.

They can start looking for car crash footage. They might hunt for eyewitnesses. They can track down any smartphone footage, traffic camera footage, or any other videos that exist and can help you locate the reckless driver who hit your car.

They Can Help You Deal with Your Insurance Company

Presumably, you have the proper car insurance. After a hit-and-run accident, you’ll have to file a claim with your insurance provider.

That’s sometimes a time-consuming and difficult process. Your lawyer can help you as you go about it. If your insurance provider drags its feet instead of quickly getting you the money you need to replace or repair your vehicle, your lawyer can contact them and help the process along.

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They Can Aggressively Go After the Other Driver

Most hit-and-run drivers don’t get away with it for long. These days, you’ll find cameras everywhere. Even if you can’t locate someone who recorded the incident on their cell phone, you can probably find store camera or traffic camera footage unless you were out on some deserted back road when the vehicle hit you and sped away.

Assuming the police eventually catch the driver, you can talk to your lawyer about how best to proceed. You can sue the other driver to try to recover money for medical bills. You can also sue them for your pain and suffering. They’ll face both civil and criminal charges since a hit-and-run is a felony in every state.

Your lawyer might get you some money as a settlement from the other driver. If so, you can avoid a lengthy trial. You will have to decide whether the amount the other driver offers works for you or whether you’d prefer to continue with the trial if you feel that you can get more out of them.

Make sure you work out a deal with your car crash lawyer in Clearwater before you hire them to represent you. Most attorneys will charge you using a contingency payment plan, but some require money upfront. Try to find a lawyer who has worked on plenty of these cases in the past.