How to Salvage Your Finances after Your Car is Wrecked in a Hit and Run

Any collision requires careful documentation and follow-up with one’s insurance. However, after a hit and run, many drivers aren’t sure what to do. With the culprit nowhere to be found and the car a total wreck, drivers often wonder how they can pick up the pieces. Read on for four ways to fix your finances after your car has been totaled by an unknown driver.

Know Your Insurance Coverage

Liability insurance exists for scenarios like a hit and run. Unfortunately for most people, being the victim of a hit and run can result in them being at the center of a civil suit and subject to liability, as the culprit’s insurance will not be paying for the resulting expenses. 

There are a variety of coverages that a hit and run may fall under depending on the circumstances. These circumstances will also dictate whether or not you pay a deductible. However, if the driver is not found, it’s important to know that the hit will go on your insurance record.

Work with Auto Attorney for Full Insurance Payout

With hit-and-runs, there can be several legal consequences. For many people that aren’t covered by their insurance for hit-and-runs, they may not be able to get the full insurance payout. This is where auto accident attorney services come in. 




These attorneys will do the negotiating on behalf of their clients to get the full payout possible. This is especially important when deductibles and other expenses are involved, as every penny that your attorney can get you will count. It’s best to have your ideal attorney picked out before you need them so that you can take the time you need to compare services and fees.

Work with Police and Collect Evidence

When a hit-and-run occurs while you’re present, it can be tempting to drive off and chase the culprit. However, leaving the scene will compromise the facts of what happened. Additionally, drivers that do leave aren’t able to get eyewitness testimony that may help them later on when it comes to speaking with their insurance and the police. 

By staying at the scene, filing a police report, and collecting photos for evidence, victims of hit-and-runs will have a more solid case to present to their insurance. Traffic cameras in the area may also be able to pull up a license plate for the offending car.

Use Credit Repair Services

If held liable, a hit-and-run victim will likely take a hit to their finances. Even though they weren’t at fault, the costs of repairing a totaled car, paying for a rental, and any missed work as a result of not having a vehicle can take a toll on their credit. 

Most of this will be able to go onto the victim’s insurance, but the claim itself will still fall under their insurance history and the deductibles may still affect their credit. In the event that this happens, drivers should work with credit repair services to start fixing their credit score.

Hit-and-runs can happen to anyone, regardless of how careful they are. If you’ve experienced damages to your vehicle as a result of a hit-and-run, be sure to keep these four strategies in mind to help you get back on your feet. Consult with professionals so that you can minimize the damage to your financial standing.