What Happens After a Hit-and-Run Crash in Wichita?

Recently, Kake.com reported on a hit-and-run accident which left an eight year old girl injured. The incident was reported to law enforcement at around 4:15 PM. It occurred near Funston and Ida in West Wichita. The little girl was in a red vehicle. The car which struck the red vehicle was a silver passenger car. When it was hit, the red vehicle rolled onto its side. The little girl was initially thought to be seriously hurt and was taken to the hospital for evaluation.

Police are looking for the driver of the silver vehicle who left the crash scene. Drivers are expected to stop when they are involved in motor vehicle accidents and they can face serious consequences if they fail to do so. A hit-and-run accident can put victims in jeopardy of more serious injuries and can make it more difficult for victims to recover compensation after car accidents. Victims need to understand what happens after a hit-and-run so they can understand their rights.

What Happens After a Hit-and-Run in Wichita? 

When police are called to the scene of a hit-and-run, they will try to obtain as much information as they can about what happened. If possible, you should try to provide details on the color and make of the car which hit you if you were the victim of a hit-and-run.

If you can get any portion of the license plate, that will be very helpful to authorities. Witnesses may be able to provide information about the driver who hit-and-run and, depending upon where the accident happened, surveillance footage may be available.

The police will use the information provided to conduct an investigation and try to find the driver who fled the scene. They may alert body shops and hospitals to be on the lookout for damaged cars or people coming in with crash injuries. They may ask the public to call in with tips and use social media to try to find the hit-and-run driver.

If the hit-and-run driver is found, the driver can be charged with a crime for leaving the scene of the collision. Crash victims will also be able to make a civil claim against the driver if they can prove the hit-and-run motorist caused the accident through negligence or failure to fulfill obligations to follow the rules of the road. The hit-and-run driver's liability insurer may settle the case outside of court or the case may proceed to a personal injury civil trial.

If police are not able to find the hit-and-run driver, victims are going to face a more difficult time getting compensation for losses which were caused by the crash.

Kansas does require drivers to purchase both personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage, so if victims of crashes cannot pursue claims against a driver who caused their crash because the driver isn't found, they may still be able to get bills paid and costs covered through their own auto insurance provider.