Summerville Hit & Run Accident Lawyer
Motor vehicle crashes in general have been rising in recent years, but the rate at which hit and run accidents have risen has been staggering. Indeed, according to data reported by ValuePenguin, the increase in hit and run deaths over the last decade “far outpaced the uptick in the number of deadly crashes in the same period.” During that time period, the rate of hit and run crashes rose by nearly 90 percent. In hit and run collisions, occupants of motor vehicles, as well as pedestrians and bicyclists, often sustain severe injuries. If you were injured in a hit and run accident in or around Summerville, an attorney can discuss your options with you for seeking compensation. Contact our experienced Summerville hit & run accident lawyer today.
Understanding Summerville Hit & Run Accidents
What is a hit and run accident in Summerville? According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, hit and run crashes “are those in which at least one person involved in a crash flees the scene before offering any (or sufficient) information or aid to the other involved person(s) or fails to properly report the crash. As we noted above, hit and run accidents can involve injuries to vehicle occupants, but they also tend to cause serious harm to pedestrians and bicyclists. Over the last decade, the injury rate among pedestrians and bicyclists has shown a particularly alarming increase. The AAA Foundation reports that, when it comes to deadly hit and run accidents, pedestrians are usually the victims who suffer fatal injuries in these crashes.
Hit and run collisions in the Summerville area and throughout South Carolina have the same common causes as other crashes that result from a motorist’s negligence, including distracted driving, aggressive driving, intoxicated driving, and fatigued driving. However, according to AAA, hits and runs tend to share certain environmental factors. Based on AAA data, the likelihood of a hit and run accident increases when there is less visibility, and thus the following environmental factors tend to play a role in determining the risk of a hit and run occurring (i.e., a person leaving the scene after a crash):
- Time of day;
- Lighting;
- Roadway geometry;
- Location of the crash; and
- Amount of vehicle or pedestrian traffic in the area.
How to Seek Compensation After a Hit & Run Accident in Summerville
After a hit and run accident, it can be difficult to know what steps you need to take in order to seek compensation. Since a person injured in a hit and run collision does not have the at-fault driver’s contact information or insurance details, they cannot file a third-party insurance claim to seek compensation. However, South Carolina requires motorists to carry uninsured motorist coverage. Accordingly, if you were injured in a hit and run accident while in a motor vehicle, you may be able to seek compensation by filing a claim through your uninsured motorist policy.
If you ultimately need to file a civil lawsuit in order to seek compensation for your losses, and the police or your legal team can identify the at-fault driver who left the scene, you need to pay close attention to the statute of limitations. Under South Carolina law, most injury cases have a three-year statute of limitations. What this means is that you will need to file a lawsuit within three years from the date that you were injured in the hit and run accident. Even if it takes a significant amount of time to locate the at-fault driver, you should ensure that you seek advice from an attorney as soon as possible so that your claim does not become time-barred under South Carolina law.
Contact The Stanley Law Group Today
If you were harmed in a hit and run crash, or if you lost someone you loved in a deadly hit and run, an attorney can provide you with more information about your options for seeking compensation and holding the at-fault party accountable. Contact our experienced Summerville car accident lawyer today.
