What happens if you’re hurt in a hit-and-run crash in Georgia?

Car crashes can leave people with severe injuries that might prove fatal if they don’t get timely care. Guilt about causing a crash or knowing that an arrest is likely because of chemical impairment or a suspended license can make some people reticent about accepting responsibility for a crash they cause.  One driver may worry about the financial and legal implications if something bad were to happen to people in the other vehicle involved in a collision. 

The natural response to avoid risk can lead some people to flee the scene of a crash. When the person who caused the crash and drives off without helping the other person or exchanging information, they have committed a hit and run. What happens to you as a Georgia resident if you become the victim of a hit-and-run driver?

There are legal protections for hit-and-run victims

Georgia state law makes it very clear that drivers have a legal obligation to stop and report a crash that results in property damage or injury. When the other driver leaves the scene of the accident, they commit a crime that might endanger the life and well-being of the people in the other vehicle. 

As the victim of a crime, you have certain rights. Many times, you can bring a claim against your own insurance policy if the police report corroborates your claim that it was a hit-and-run crash. Additionally, if law enforcement officers successfully track down the other driver, that person could very well face criminal charges for causing the wreck. You could also have grounds to bring a civil lawsuit against that person if you have substantial financial losses after the crash they caused.