Massachusetts hit and run accidents happen all the time. If you have been involved in one, you need to know about the following:
1) The accident must be reported to your insurance company immediately;
2) The vehicle that caused the accident and left the scene is unable to be identified;
3) The insurance company that insures the vehicle you were in (as either the driver or passenger) covers the first $2000.00 in your "reasonable and necessary" medical expenses, and any bills that are not paid are then submitted to your health insurance carrier;
4) These are called "uninsured motorist claims" and cannot be brought to court, but rather, must be arbitrated if the case cannot settle;
5) The required minimum amount of "uninsured motorist" coverage in Massachusetts is $20,000.00;
6) You may have to give a recorded statement to your insurance company on how the accident occurred, your injuries from the accident, etc.
Good luck with your claim, and feel free to contact us if you have any questions.
Uninsured motorist claims are probably made much less than they could be. I imagine that many people may think that if they can not find the person/car that caused the damage, that they have no hope for coverage. Informative post.
Posted by: George E. Bourguignon, Jr. | April 02, 2011 at 09:39 AM
I still cannot believe in this day and age that hit and runs actually still happen. I do wonder though if half of these hit and runs are made by drivers who are uninsured, if they were insured then surely they would stop.
Posted by: emily | October 10, 2011 at 08:53 AM
I just don't get why people hit and run, the only reason I can think is that they are not insured to drive the said vehicle in the first place. There is no excuse for not having insurance, especially in this day and age, when there is the ability to shop around the market for a good deal. Plus price comparison sites online are in place to make your life so much easier.
Posted by: ruby | October 17, 2011 at 04:29 AM
It's so sad when this happens. I had this happen to a customer of mine recently. We took care of them 100% of course.
Posted by: Texas Insurance | October 17, 2011 at 10:46 AM
Accidents often occur when drivers are under the influence of alcohol. Legal advice from a lawyer must be sought in cases of hit-and-run accidents.
Posted by: Charla Mcguyer | November 18, 2011 at 01:59 PM
It can be a pretty hectic experience. There's the shock of getting hit, and then realizing that the person who may be responsible for the mess had run away from the scene. Nonetheless, one must stay calm and act quickly to get assistance.
Posted by: Guy Chambliss | February 05, 2012 at 02:56 PM