What Do I Do If the Other Driver Leaves the Scene of the Accident?

Why Would A Driver Leave the Scene?

By Illinois law, all drivers involved in a car accident must stay at the scene. However, it doesn’t always work out that way. There are several reasons a driver might flee the scene:

• They are intoxicated
• They don’t have a driver’s license
• They don’t have insurance
• The car doesn’t belong to them
• The car contains stolen property or drugs
• The car is a company car, and the driver doesn’t want his company to find out there was an accident
• The driver has multiple traffic tickets and wants to avoid getting another
• The driver has an arrest warrant against him and doesn’t want to be caught by the police

What to Do

Remain Calm and Stay Put

Take a deep breath. If you are hurt, seek medical attention immediately. Check if other drivers and passengers involved in the accident are injured. Don’t move an injured person unless their safety is in jeopardy, but try to move vehicles off the road, out of traffic, if possible.

Remain at the accident scene and wait for the police to arrive. Whatever you do, do not chase the other driver. Catching the at-fault driver is a job best left to law enforcement.

Record Every Detail You Remember

The most important detail is the license plate number of the other car, even if you can only remember part of it. However, every detail helps.

What kind of car was it? Was the car a distinctive color? Was it speeding? What direction was it headed? Did it have any bumper stickers or visible damage? What state was the license plate from? Did you see the driver or any passengers? Can you describe their appearances?

Anything and everything that you can remember will help the police in their efforts to track down the driver who hit you.

Find Witnesses

If there were any eyewitnesses to the accident, talk to them. Record anything useful they might remember about the accident and take their contact information in case the police or your insurance company have additional questions.

Get Medical Attention

Even if you think you’re okay, never refuse medical attention after a car accident. Sometimes, the stress of a car accident can mask injuries, which often arise a few days later. Should that happen, having medical documentation will help you prove that the accident caused the injuries.

Take Photos

Take pictures of your car and the accident scene. Make sure to get close-up shots of the damage to your vehicle and any debris on the road. The police may be able to use paint scrapes to identify the other car.

Also, take as many photos as you can of your injuries. These could be useful evidence in a personal injury lawsuit later on.

Notify Your Insurance Company

Finally, immediately notify your insurance company of the accident, even if you think you may be partially at fault.

What Happens Next?

Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime, so the police will try to locate the guilty driver. If the driver is found, they will get a traffic ticket at the minimum. If their hit-and-run caused injuries or significant damage, they could face criminal charges.

Personal Injury Lawsuit

If the hit-and-run driver has insurance, their liability coverage should pay for the damage to your car and your injuries, up to their coverage limits. If the driver does not have insurance, or if your injuries are severe, you must file a personal injury lawsuit against them to recover damages.