If you suffer an injury in a hit-and-run accident in Illinois, you likely have some questions about recovering compensation for your injuries. What are the steps you should take after a hit-and-run? How are you going to hold the at-fault driver liable? Will your auto insurance cover your medical expenses and lost wages?
There are multiple ways to recover compensation after a hit-and-run, and an experienced Illinois car accident lawyer can help.
Reporting a Hit-and-Run in Illinois
It’s vital that you report the hit-and-run to both the police and your insurance company. The police will file an official collision report and attempt to track down the at-fault driver. Identifying the driver is one of your main paths toward recovering the compensation you deserve.
If the police can’t identify the driver, their report will also be necessary for filing a claim with your insurance company. You should report the accident to your insurer right after a hit-and-run, even if you weren’t at fault. Your auto insurance policy likely has a clause stating that you must report accidents within a specific timeframe to be able to file a claim.
Auto Insurance in Illinois
In most cases, after an Illinois motor vehicle accident, the injured parties file an insurance claim with the insurance company of the driver who caused their injuries. However, hit-and-runs make filing a claim with the at-fault party’s insurance more difficult. If you can’t identify the driver, you can’t file a claim with their insurer.
However, that doesn’t mean you’re out of options. If the police eventually identify the driver, you can still file a claim with their provider or a personal injury lawsuit against them directly. But what if you need compensation now or don’t know the driver’s identity?
Does Uninsured Motorist Coverage Apply to Hit-and-Runs?
The good news is that Illinois mandates that all auto insurance policies include uninsured motorist (UM) coverage. Typically, this coverage applies if a driver who doesn’t have insurance crashes into you. However, it also applies if the driver who struck you can’t be identified.
Illinois requires all drivers to have at least $25,000 worth of bodily injury coverage as part of their auto insurance policy, and this minimum requirement applies to UM coverage, as well. However, UM coverage only applies to bodily injury, not property damage.
If you recover compensation through a UM claim and the at-fault driver is later identified, you can still file a claim with their insurance provider or a lawsuit against them. However, you may have to repay your insurance provider for the compensation you receive through your UM claim.
Contact an Illinois Car Accident Attorney
Did you suffer injuries in a hit-and-run accident in Illinois? Call Bonifield & Rosenstengel today at 618-277-7740 or contact us online for a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney. We’ll review your case, explain your options for seeking compensation, and help you file an uninsured motorist claim to recover the money you deserve.