You could be the safest driver in the world. Following all of the basic driving laws and not being distracted by eating, drinking or talking on your cell phone. But driving is not only about you being behind the wheel, but the other people around you behind their wheels. Most people aren’t as exacting behind the wheel as you could be, and this is the reason that accidents happen.
One pretty common rule on the road is that everyone is expected to have car insurance. It is illegal in most states to drive around without insurance, and in states that it is not required it is considered decent to have it. Unfortunately, the most common drivers in accidental vehicle accidents are ones without insurance.
If you are in the middle of a mishap, you would naturally take it for granted that the other person will remain at the site of the mishap until the police are summoned, you will prepare a statement, exchange information about insurance providers and the handle the damage caused after you leave the site. In case you are a party to a mishap with a person who neither has insurance nor is keen to encounter the police until they arrive, then you are in for bad luck. You may be in the middle of mishap and you can do nothing but wring your hands in despair when you see the offender bolt from the scene of mishap.
The first thing to do is if you are at the scene when your car is hit is to try to stay calm, always believe that the car will leave and get the license plate number. Even if the car pulls to the side you should always write the license plate number down, you never know what might cause them to take off.
You may be aware that a police report needs to be registered in hit and run mishap irrespective of the seriousness of the mishap, to enable your insurance provider to lodge a claim. In case you possess underinsured or uninsured driver coverage or have comprehensive coverage n your car, the insurance company will attend to the repair of the vehicle as also the hospital expenditure on account of the mishap corresponding to the permissible amount in your policy.
You will be responsible for any deductible you have within your policy. Even though the accident is not your fault you will have to split over the deductible amount in order to have the insurance company cover the remaining costs. It may seem unreasonable but it is much better than being left with the total bill. In most cases hit and run drivers are not found if the driver of the vehicle involved does not think fast and take down the license plate number. If the police do find the culprit then you will be able to turn the matter over to your insurance company and they will charge the individual for the amount that is to be paid and if you choose that you can take them to civil court to be reimbursed your deductible and any other out of pocket expenses you may have encountered due to the accident.
Graham McKenzie is the content syndication coordinator for Carinsurancesa.co.za. South Arica?s leading car insurance portal, which helps people save on their car insurance.
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