How Can I Receive Treatment Following a Hit And Run Accident In Baltimore?

How Can I Receive Treatment Following a Hit And Run Accident In Baltimore?

As a Baltimore Chiropractor that spends the majority of my time treating whiplash patients in Baltimore, I have seen just about every type of scenario unfold when it comes to crashes. Typically speaking, if you are stopped at a red light, struck by another vehicle, and injured, it is ultimately the responsibility of the insurance company of the car that struck you to pay to fix your car, fix your body (medical expenses), pay for future medical needs if any, and to pay for pain and suffering (if any).

But what happens in the cases of hit and run accidents? We’ve all seen them on television. Maybe a drunk driver who has had a few too many drinks hits the bumper of a vehicle on the way home from the bar. Nervous that they may get a ticket or arrested for DUI they leave the scene of the crime without calling the police, and they leave the passengers of the car injured and alone. Obviously hit and run accidents in Baltimore do not always occur with intoxicated individuals. Sometimes drivers simply have not been carrying insurance and are too afraid to stop to report the collision, for fear of not having the money to pay to repair the vehicle.

In these instances where there is a hit and run (that is, one vehicle hits another and then does not exchange insurance information) there is auto insurance coverage available to injured parties in Baltimore. The type of coverage is referred to as uninsured motorist coverage, or UM coverage for short. This insurance is carried by every driver that has insurance and is mandatory under Maryland law. Vehicle drivers can purchase auto insurance limits up to, but not exceeding, the limits that they carry for liability.

For example, lets say I am driving a vehicle. I may be carrying 100k/300k limits of liability. I have to carry some uninsured motorist coverage (UM) by law. I may elect to carry limits that are 50k/100k, or, I can choose to purchase limits equal to, but not exceeding, my liability coverage, of 100k/300k.

In this example, if I am struck by a hit and run driver, If I elected to pruchase UM of 100k/300k, I would have access of up to 100k limits for my personal injuries, and up to 300k for the crash if there were other occupants in the vehicle with me.

I am not an auto insurance salesman in the state of Maryland. I can not give advice on how much insurance to buy. But most prudent people will maximize the amount of UM that they purchase in order to protect themselves in cases of hit and run accidents in Baltimore.

In addition to making a claim against your own insurance company for UM coverage, you can also make a PIP claim to pay for bodily injury and wage loss while treating.

Just like PIP, filing a UM claim in a non-fault accident can not raise your auto insurance rates.

Many people mistakenly believe that if they have been vicitimized and injured in cases of a hit and run in Baltimore that they do not have coverage available for them to receive treatment for their injuries. This is not the case, as I have described that both PIP and UM coverage will cover hit and run victims.

If you, or someone you know, has been injured as a result of a hit and run Baltimore auto accident, please contact Mid-Atlantic Spinal Rehab & Chiropractic at (443) 842-5500. We would be happy to help!

Dr. Gulitz