State law in Oklahoma requires that drivers pull over and report a collision if they cause injury to others or notice any significant property damage. Unfortunately, many people do not comply with that law and will instead keep driving even though they know they were just involved in a wreck.
In a hit-and-run crash, the other person involved who may be at fault for the collision leaves in order to avoid personal responsibility for the wreck. The reason that people leave might be that they don’t want an insurance claim or that they don’t have insurance. They may have a suspended driver’s license because of a previous crash or know that they have violated the law some way and want to avoid responsibility.
You are left on your own to file a police report and try to deal with the consequences of the collision. How will you pay for the damage to your vehicle and the medical costs that you have after a hit-and-run wreck in Oklahoma?
The police will try to locate the other driver
It is against the law to leave the scene of a crash, so you can count on law enforcement to at least investigate the situation and attempt to locate the driver who caused the wreck. If they can find the driver who hit you, you will be in a position to pursue an insurance claim against their coverage or a personal injury lawsuit if they don’t have insurance as they should.
What if you can’t find the driver?
If the police cannot identify the driver who caused your crash, you won’t be able to hold them personally accountable for the expenses you incur. You will only have your own insurance to protect you from an unsolved hit-and-run crash.
If you carry uninsured motorist coverage, your policy will help cover property damage and injury-related losses. The possibility of a hit-and-run crash may be the most powerful argument in favor of carrying such coverage. Without uninsured motorist protection or collision coverage, you may have to pay those expenses on your own behalf unless you manage to identify the other driver.
Understanding your rights after a serious car crash in Oklahoma can help you minimize the financial damage that a collision causes.