Hit-and-Run: What to do When the Other Driver Gets Away

Imagine you are driving in your vehicle and another vehicle suddenly crashes into you.  Before you fully realize what just happened, the other vehicle suddenly drives away!  You call the police and report everything you can remember, but, in the end, they are unable to identify the other driver or find the vehicle that hit you.  If you have collision coverage, the damage to your vehicle should be covered by your own insurance.  But what happens if you were also injured in that collision?  

In South Dakota, your automobile insurance provides something called “uninsured motorist coverage” for situations like when another driver hits you and has no insurance.  But uninsured coverage also applies when the identity of an at-fault driver is unknown, like in the hit-and-run scenario above. That unknown driver is considered “uninsured” under South Dakota law.  That is why it is important to report to your insurance company if you have been injured as a result of a hit-and-run.

If you were injured as a result of a motor vehicle collision, whether it was a hit-and-run or not, and you have questions about what to do next, please reach out to our firm to speak with one of our dedicated lawyers, free of charge, to see if we can assist you.