Your Legal Options After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma uses a fault-based system of auto insurance. With this system, every car owner buys liability coverage. After a car accident, all accident victims file insurance claims against the at-fault driver’s liability policy.
A hit-and-run accident in Oklahoma City, OK, can complicate everything. You have no one to blame for your crash until the police identify the hit-and-run driver. This means you may need to identify alternate sources of compensation for your injuries. A lawyer can play a critical role in outlining your legal options.
How McGuire Law Firm Can Help After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Oklahoma City
McGuire Law Firm was established in 1989 to provide small firm attention and big firm results. Our Oklahoma City car accident attorneys have over 60 years of combined legal experience. They have also earned some of the most prestigious honors in the legal profession, including an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Our legal team has recovered millions of dollars in injury compensation for our clients, including:
- A $1.15 million car accident settlement
- A $575,000 car accident settlement after an insurer wrongly denied uninsured motorist benefits
- A $275,000 car accident settlement
We’ll be able to assist by:
- Conducting an internal investigation into your accident to identify the liable parties and collect evidence
- Hire experts, if necessary, to strengthen and analyze your case
- Negotiate with the other party for a fair settlement agreement
A hit-and-run accident in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, can cause serious injuries and leave you with few options for recourse. Contact McGuire Law Firm for a free consultation at (405) 513-5658 to discuss the injury compensation you can seek for your car accident injuries.
How Common Are Hit-and-Run Accidents in Oklahoma?
According to the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office’s Interactive Crash Dashboard, Oklahoma had 9,360 traffic accidents in 2021. Of these, police identified 579 as hit-and-run crashes.
This means roughly 6.2% of crashes in Oklahoma were hit-and-run accidents. This number was significantly lower than the national average. In 2015, the most recent year with full national statistics, hit-and-run crashes made up 11.7% of all crashes in the U.S.
The hit-and-run rate in Oklahoma City comes much closer to the national average. Oklahoma City had 175 hit-and-run crashes out of 1,700 total crashes in 2021. This gives the city a hit-and-run rate of 10.3%.
What You Can Do After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Oklahoma City
Hit-and-run crashes in Oklahoma City caused ten fatal injuries and 202 non-fatal injuries. But after a hit-and-run accident, you cannot file an insurance claim against anyone until the police find the hit-and-run driver. As a result, you might need to identify other possible sources of compensation.
You should talk to a lawyer about your options, including:
Uninsured Motorist Coverage
Insurance companies offer uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage as an add-on to your auto insurance policy. If you choose this coverage, your insurance company will pay benefits to you if an uninsured driver’s negligence injures you.
Oklahoma does not require uninsured motorist coverage. You should consider adding this coverage to your auto insurance policy. Oklahoma has the 18th-highest percentage of uninsured motorists in the country.
In addition to protecting you from uninsured motorists, this coverage also applies to hit-and-run crashes. Insurance companies treat hit-and-run drivers as uninsured motorists. As a result, you can file a claim with your auto insurer under this coverage after your hit-and-run crash.
Medical Payments (MedPay) Coverage
MedPay coverage is another optional add-on to your auto policy. This coverage pays your out-of-pocket medical costs after any crash, including hit-and-run crashes. You should discuss whether you can seek compensation for your hit-and-run injuries under your auto policy’s uninsured motorist or MedPay coverage.
A Claim Against the Hit-and-Run Driver
When the police identify the hit-and-run driver, you can pursue a claim against them. This claim will usually start with the driver’s auto policy. The claim gets assigned to a claims adjuster who investigates the claim. Since the hit-and-run crash probably led to criminal charges, your lawyer will provide ample evidence for the adjuster to review.
If the adjuster denies the claim, your lawyer can file a lawsuit against the hit-and-run driver. In many cases, hit-and-run crashes happen because the driver did something wrong. Examples include:
- Intoxicated driving
- Driving without registration or insurance
- Fleeing police
- Outstanding arrest warrants
For you to prove negligence, you must show that the hit-and-run driver acted negligently in causing your crash. This means the driver failed to exercise reasonable care while driving. Often, you can prove negligence by showing that the other driver violated a traffic law, like running a stop sign or tailgating you.
Once you prove negligence, you document your losses. You can recover compensation for economic and non-economic losses. Economic losses include medical expenses and lost wages. Non-economic losses include pain, suffering, and disability.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Oklahoma City Hit-and-Run Car Accident Lawyers
Hit-and-run accidents can create significant financial and medical hardships. To discuss what an experienced lawyer can do for you after a hit-and-run accident in Oklahoma City, contact McGuire Law Firm for a free consultation today. Our Oklahoma City hit-and-run car accident lawyers can provide you with legal advice and help throughout the entire process.
