Before deciding to take the wheel, it is important for drivers to understand the responsibilities that a car brings upon them. There are many different unfortunate scenarios that we might cause if we’re not careful enough. Crashing against another driver, against a light pole, or even worse, hitting a pedestrian are some examples. Some reports indicate that there are 60,000 or more pedestrians ran over every year. With an incidence number as high, we need to know what to do when we accidentally hit a pedestrian.
Report the Incident to the Corresponding Authorities
The very first thing we want to do if we have accidentally hit a pedestrian is to contact our local emergency units. Make sure they get medical assistance as fast as possible. There will be a police report of the incident, and it is important that we provide truthful and accurate statements. Depending on the state we live in, determining who was at fault might be a crucial part of the process. This can have an impact on deciding whose insurance will be responsible for covering medical and repair expenses.
Contact your Insurance Company
The next step is contacting your insurance company and filing an accident claim. Once our insurance agent has arrived at the scene, they will be in charge of getting the pedestrian’s contact information. Their attorney and insurance company should be contacted, too. Depending on the type of car insurance or liability policies that we have, a bodily injury liability policy would be the one to cover medical and repair expenses of the pedestrian. A medical expenses insurance might come handy too, as it would cover medical expenses for both parties involved in the accident.
Get Legal Assistance If Needed
In many cases, a pedestrian might decide to take legal actions against a driver and file a civil lawsuit. If our insurance policy does not cover litigation expenses, we will need to pay for a lawyer ourselves. If your insurance covers those expenses, though, they will most likely offer a settlement to the pedestrian. The last thing your insurance wants is going to court. Most of the times, insurance companies decide to pay a settlement because the costs of hiring lawyers and actually going to court would be higher. Also keep in mind that If we were involved in an accident like this, it will most likely increase our insurance monthly payment.