Hit and run accident
What happens in a hit and run accident when one of the drivers involved leaves the scene? How do the police determine who is at fault and where do the injured turn for compensation?
Under normal circumstances when a hit and run accident happens, it does not matter who is at fault. If you were driving a car with insurance coverage, you would first contact your own insurance company. If you were injured as a passenger in another vehicle, you would contact the insurer of that vehicle as set out under the Statutory Accident Benefits Schedule (SABS). Under SABS, there should always be an insurer that the injured could contact to make a claim.
Insurance for hit and run accident
What if you were injured as a cyclist or a pedestrian and were not insured when the driver failed to remain at the scene of the accident? Where would you turn for coverage?
The Motor Vehicle Accident Claims Fund (MVACF) provides compensation to people injured in automobile accidents when there is no insurance. It provides compensations for personal injury or damage to victims of an unidentified driver (hit and run) or a stolen vehicle. This fund is only for accidents that happen in Ontario and can only be used by people who live in Ontario.
As for the driver who failed to remain at the scene of the accident, the law requires that drivers directly or indirectly involved in an accident must
* remain at the scene of the accident
* help as much as possible
* provide their name, address, driver’s licence number and insurance information as well as the name and address of the registered owner of the vehicle to the police and other people involved in the accident.
Drivers who fail to remain at the scene can be fined between $400 and $2,000 and or up to six months in jail as well as a minimum licence suspension of no less than three months and six demerit points.
For more information about the MVACF or to talk to an Ottawa injury lawyer about your accident, please call us today at (613) 237-4922 ext. 203 Toll Free 1-855-553-HURT
