The Law Offices of James M. Freeman, P.C.

People often think that if the driver flees after an accident there is no possibility of recovery. That may be true, but often it is not. I have personally handled cases in which we were able to locate a hit-and-run driver through thorough investigation. In each instance the initial assumption by the police was that the driver was uninsured, and therefore, fled the scene. In each instance this turned out to be untrue, and the driver did have valid insurance. These experiences led me to believe that drivers don't flee after they hit a cyclist because they don't have insurance, so much as they flee because they think they can get away with it.

I have also handled cases in which we were unable to locate the driver, however, I was able to find uninsured motorist coverage to cover the accident. This usually occurs when the victim cyclist owns a car or someone in their household or family owns a car and has uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage can be activated by a hit-and-run accident and cover the loss even though you weren't driving the car at the time of the accident. In such an instance the insurance company who issued the uninsured motorist coverage steps in and assumes the position of the defendant hit-and-run driver.

Never assume that no recovery can be made just because the driver fled the scene. The best way to know if there is any possibility of recovery is to consult with an attorney. An attorney skilled in investigating hit-and-run accidents or locating insurance coverage may be able to help in the bleakest of situations.