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No doubt you've heard about hit-and-run accidents, but you may never have heard of miss-and-run accidents until one happened to you. This type of incident can be hard to resolve with your insurance company if you can't prove any other vehicle was involved. An insurance company adjuster may suspect you simply lost control of your car and ran off the road. Use effective strategies to bolster your case and make sure your claim gets paid.
The Phantom Vehicle
Although it sounds like something from a TV show about paranormal phenomena, the phantom vehicle is actually a legal term. It describes a vehicle that causes an accident without having any physical contact with another vehicle or a person and then leaves the scene. For example, a driver might unsafely pass a car on a two-lane highway and cause a driver in the other lane to run off the road to avoid a head-on collision.
Insurance Implications
Even when an accident is your fault, your insurance company pays for your medical expenses up to the limits specified in the policy. The same is true for a phantom vehicle accident. A main problem is that you may have to pay a high deductible if the insurer decides the accident is your fault. If you have health insurance, using that coverage may be less expensive.
Another problem occurs if you don't have collision coverage to pay for damage to your vehicle or for the replacement value if it was a total loss. Because the accident was another driver's fault, your insurance company should compensate you under the uninsured motorist provision. However, the insurer naturally does not want to pay for anything other than it has to, and the company may deny this part of the claim if there's no evidence of a phantom vehicle.
Strategies to Support Your Claim
Write Down Everything That Happened
If you haven't already done so, write down all the details you remember of the accident. Make note of the color and style of the phantom vehicle; maybe you even made an educated guess as to the make and model.
File an Official Report
File a report with the police if you haven't already done so. This normally should be done within 24 hours of the accident, but if you've waited longer, go to the department and see if you can still file the report.
Take Pictures at the Scene
Perhaps you can get pictures of skid marks and other indications that you weren't the only vehicle involved in this incident.
Find Objective Witnesses
Even if you had passengers in your car, your insurance company may not accept them as reliable witnesses. Insurance adjusters assume your passengers are on your side and might even stretch the truth for you. Your state laws also may specify that witnesses in these incidents must be objective. You'll benefit from finding witnesses who saw what happened but have no personal interest in the case.
This can be difficult, however. One technique for finding witnesses is to place classified ads in newspapers and online, asking for anyone who was at the scene to respond. You could try social media as well. Maybe someone stopped and asked if you needed help; this could be a valuable witness.
Hire a Car Accident Lawyer
Having to do all the work yourself to support your claim can take a lot of time, effort and even money. Click here for more information and consider hiring a lawyer to do the work for you and deal with the insurance company. Accident lawyers are familiar with phantom vehicle incidents and they provide effective legal representation for people harmed by these drivers. They will conduct their own investigation to find evidence supporting your claim so you receive the compensation you deserve.
Share12 March 2015
