How Can I Get a Settlement After a Hit and Run in Pennsylvania?

How you can get a settlement after a car accident in Pennsylvania may depend on whether law enforcement officials locate the driver who left the accident scene. If they find the motorist, you could file a lawsuit against them if circumstances warrant.

Whether law enforcement finds the hit-and-run motorist, you may file an insurance claim seeking a settlement. If you have any further questions after reading this page, our firm can answer them.

Auto Insurance in Pennsylvania for Hit and Run Accident Victims

We categorize how states handle auto insurance claims in two ways:

1. No-fault, or “limited tort,” states: In these states, anyone involved in a car accident receives some benefits from their insurer, even if they caused the accident.
2. At-fault, or “full tort,” states: In these states, the at-fault motorist’s insurer must generally cover medical expenses and property damage for affected parties.

Pennsylvania uses a hybrid model, allowing motorists to choose either no-fault insurance or at-fault insurance. Those who choose full tort insurance may have greater leeway to seek compensation from liable parties.

Our team will consider the details of your auto insurance coverage as we develop your case strategy.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) explains that fault considerations aside, every motorist in Pennsylvania must purchase minimum insurance coverage, including for:

• Your medical care: PID notes that the minimum coverage limit for covering your accident-related medical bills is $5,000.
• Others’ medical care: Per PID, you’ll need a minimum coverage of $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident to cover the medical bills of anyone whose injuries you cause.
• Property damage: Motorists in Pennsylvania must purchase at least $5,000 in coverage for damage caused to others’ vehicles.

PID explains that some auto insurers offer a single-limit policy totaling $35,000 in coverage for both bodily injury liability and property damage liability.

Uninsured and Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) Coverage Is Optional in Pennsylvania

The PID also highlights two types of insurance coverage that can be immensely helpful for hit-and-run accident victims, which are:

1. Uninsured motorist coverage: This covers the cost of injuries (not property damage) if a motorist without insurance hits you in Pennsylvania.
2. Underinsured motorist coverage: This coverage applies when a liable motorist does not have enough insurance coverage for your accident-related losses. 
3. Collision coverage: This coverage may apply when a hit-and-run motorist causes damage to your vehicle.

Coverage limits are a key factor in how much compensation you can receive through insurance. Our attorneys will also consider if officials have identified the hit-and-run motorist. This could affect the types of insurance claims we can file.

Filing an Insurance Claim After a Hit and Run Accident in Pennsylvania

If filing one or more insurance claims is appropriate in your case, we will handle the claims process for you. In motor vehicle accident cases involving hit-and-run motorists, our attorneys generally:

• Review the hit-and-run motorist’s insurance: If we know who the hit-and-run motorist is, we’ll determine if they have insurance. The type of coverage and coverage limits they have (or don’t have) will be relevant to our approach.
• Review your insurance policy: The types of elective coverages you have (or don’t have) and the coverage limits on your policy will be key considerations as we navigate the claims process.
• Determine if one or more claims could cover your damages: Depending on your insurance policies, we may file multiple claims seeking compensation for your losses. We will calculate the total coverage you are entitled to from various claims.
• Assess the merits of filing a lawsuit: Depending on your losses and the coverage you’re entitled to recover, we may find that filing a lawsuit is a viable option.

If law enforcement officials do not identify the hit-and-run motorist, this could limit the types of insurance claims we can file. If this is the case, it may affect our overall case strategy.

Filing a Lawsuit After a Hit and Run in Pennsylvania

Depending on the circumstances of your accident, we may consider filing a lawsuit against a hit-and-run motorist or other liable parties. If the motorist left the scene, it may indicate they did something to cause the collision (or lacked insurance). However, even hit-and-run accidents may result from:

• Vehicle defects
• Dangerous road conditions
• Other hazards that don’t stem from a motorist’s actions

In these cases, parties other than the hit-and-run motorist may be financially responsible for an accident victim’s damages. If you and our firm decide to pursue a lawsuit, our team will:

• Secure evidence
• Document your damages
• Calculate the value of your recoverable damages
• Draft and file the lawsuit
• Lead settlement negotiations
• Proceed to court, if necessary

Our firm manages every detail of our clients’ cases in Pennsylvania, whether those cases involve an insurance claim, lawsuit, or both.

Recoverable Damages for a Hit and Run Accident Victim in Pennsylvania

Motor vehicle accident victims in Pennsylvania may suffer:

• Pain and suffering: Injury-related pain, emotional anguish, psychological distress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and impaired quality of life are among the types of pain and suffering we see in Pennsylvania accident victims.
• Medical expenses: We’ll seek compensation for any emergency transport. 
• Professional damages: Lost income is the most prominent professional damage from accidents, but you may also lose earning power, miss performance bonuses, lose benefits, and suffer other professional losses.
• Vehicle damage: You may also have other property expenses, such as damage to your phone and temporary transportation costs.

Our team will conduct a personalized accounting of your damages.

Call Berger and Green Today for Help Seeking Compensation After a Hit and Run in Pennsylvania

Call us as soon as you can. 42 Pa. C.S.A. § 5524(2) generally limits the time we have to file personal injury cases in Pennsylvania to two years. We also want to secure as much evidence as possible as quickly as possible.

Call Berger and Green today for your free consultation. A hit-and-run accident lawyer from our team can talk with you about your case today.