Being struck by a driver who speeds off adds a cruel twist to an already frightening moment, leaving you or a loved one hurt with no one there to answer for it. Our team at Schefman & Associates helps Detroit victims handle the money side of a car accident when the other driver vanishes, and our hit-and-run accident lawyers in Detroit can maximize your recovery.
Who Pays When the Driver Is Never Found?
You may still have options for compensation even if the driver is never identified. Michigan no-fault benefits can cover medical expenses and lost wages regardless of who caused the crash, and if neither you nor a resident relative has coverage, your claim may be assigned to a carrier under Michigan law. Uninsured motorist coverage, if you have it, may provide compensation for pain and suffering.
What Compensation Can I Recover for a Hit-and-Run in Detroit?
The compensation available in a hit-and-run case depends on which coverage applies. However, the goal stays the same, which is maximizing the amount of money available for your losses. A solid claim can reach across several types of damages:
- Emergency and ongoing medical care
- Attendant care by your family or professionals
- Lost income and reduced earning power
- Pain and suffering
- Property damage to your vehicle
- Long-term rehabilitation
Drivers without any auto policy of their own often assume they are shut out, but that is not how Michigan works. Under MCL 500.3172, the state’s Assigned Claims Plan provides no-fault medical and wage benefits for a hit-and-run by an unidentified driver, even when you carry no insurance at all.
What Happens If the Driver Is Found?
Identifying the driver opens doors that stay closed in an unidentified-driver case. With a name and an insurance policy attached to your collision, your recovery options widen in a few concrete ways that can raise what you collect:
- A direct claim against the driver that is covered by his/her insurer
- Access to the driver’s policy limits or other assets
The criminal case for fleeing the scene moves through Wayne County on its own track and does nothing to pay your bills. Your civil claim is what recovers money, and it proceeds separately from whatever the prosecutor decides.
How Long Do You Have to File a Hit-and-Run Claim?
A hit-and-run injury lawsuit in Michigan generally must be filed within three years of the crash, the same window that applies to other car accident claims. The no-fault benefit side runs on a separate, shorter schedule, so the two clocks are best handled together rather than one at a time. And, if your own no-fault policy requires a shorter notice period to make a PIP or uninsured motorist claim, that shorter period governs, as uninsured motorist coverage is contractual and not statutory.
Turn to Our Detroit Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers for Help
Tracking down a fleeing driver and sorting out which policy pays is work that injured people should not face alone. With more than 60 years of combined experience, our firm has represented people hurt on Michigan roads, returning tens of millions of dollars to injured clients.
Call our Detroit hit-and-run accident lawyers at (248) 594-2600 or contact us online for a free consultation. Schefman & Associates handles these claims on a contingency basis. That means there are no out-of-pocket costs, and there is no fee unless we collect for you.