Minneapolis Hit and Run Injury Attorneys
Fighting For Hit & Run Accident Victims in Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin
A car accident is difficult in every circumstance, but it can be even harder to endure when the driver who hit you drives away. A hit-and-run collision raises many questions about your rights and how you will recover from your losses.
At Fay & Associates, our Minnesota-based auto accident attorneys provide guidance and representation for victims of hit-and-run collisions. We understand how overwhelming it can be to receive the news that no information is available about the fleeing driver.
To discuss your rights and whether/how you can get your losses covered, please contact our offices and tell us more about your hit-and-run accident in:
- Minneapolis: (612) 888-8354
- St. Paul: (612) 888-8354
Contact Fay & Associates today to schedule a consultation with our hit & run accident lawyer in Minneapolis.
How to Find the Person Who Hit You and Fled
In most hit-and-run cases, the police are familiar with the process and can follow up in an attempt to locate witnesses, compile evidence like cell phone records and video, and search for a driver and their vehicle.
If evidence leads to locating the driver, you can initiate several types of claims.
Your options include filing a claim with:
- The other driver’s insurer
- Your insurer if you have uninsured coverage
- Crime victim losses coverage if someone is identified
- A dram shop claim with the establishment that over-served a visibly intoxicated driver
- The driver's insurer if they are apprehended for drunk driving
Common Causes Of Hit & Run Accidents
Understanding why drivers flee the scene can shed light on these unfortunate events. While each case is unique, there are several common reasons hit-and-run accidents occur:
- Fear of Legal Consequences: Drivers may flee because of fear of legal repercussions, especially if they are driving without a valid license, lack insurance, or have outstanding legal issues.
- Driving Under the Influence (DUI): A substantial number of hit-and-run accidents involve intoxicated drivers. Fleeing the scene may seem like an easier option to avoid DUI charges, though it often leads to more severe penalties.
- Distracted or Reckless Driving: Drivers who are texting, speeding, or engaging in other reckless behaviors could panic after causing an accident and decide to leave the scene.
- Unawareness of the Accident: In some cases, drivers claim they did not realize they were involved in an accident. This is more common in minor collisions or cases involving pedestrians or cyclists.
- Unlicensed or Underage Drivers: Unlicensed or underage drivers might leave the scene to avoid being caught breaking the law.
What You Should Do After a Hit & Run Accident
When a driver flees the accident scene, your immediate priority is calling 911 and reporting the incident to the police. By alerting the authorities, there is a better chance of catching the hit-and-run driver, which is a crucial part of your future in recovering damages. After that, there are several ways you may be able to help your own, unique circumstances of your case, if you are physically able.
To help the police and leverage your own claims, take the following steps:
- Get to a safe place.
- Write down a description of the fleeing car, its color, and model, and the license plate number if you remember any of it, and exchange contact and insurance information with any drivers involved
- Summon medical assistance if you need it.
- Take photos of the accident scene to document how the collision occurred.
- Contact a hit and run accident lawyer like ours at Fay & Associates, LLC to protect your right to recover damages.
When time is of the essence, having a legal team with extensive experience in hit and run cases is a valuable asset. If getting an immediate connection with a driver to start putting together some of the pieces of the accident puzzle, our lawyers can work to get you connected with an available driver before coordinating with the official investigation.
Very often, with our technical resources and knowledge of police accident investigations, we can determine the likely route of flight for a driver, which will allow us to check for video along the path and to canvass a neighborhood or area of town in an attempt to find someone who saw a crash, someone who saw a speeding car shortly after a collision, or someone who saw a damaged car that looked like it may have been in an accident. Without a connection to a driver, it is very difficult to obtain video for a hit-and-run case.
Adjunct to a police investigation, our team can dig into the technical data of your accident, including collecting and preserving the following:
- Cell phone records if you were using your phone or suspected the fleeing driver was using a phone prior to the accident
- ECM data from the other vehicle based on event data
- An EC400 download of event data for the other driver
This gives us more pieces of the puzzle and resources to help in finding the person responsible for your losses.
Standing Ready to Be Your Advocates
EXPECT THE INDIVIDUALIZED ATTENTION YOU DESERVE
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Invested in You
Our relationship with clients begins with a consultation and continues through your case and life outside the courtroom. We are invested in your case, but also you.
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Advocates for the Injured
We choose to focus our firm in a few areas of law so we can stay in the forefront of legal changes and gain in-depth legal knowledge that our clients can benefit from. Our attorneys never represent insurance companies or large corporations.
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Treating Clients Like PartnersWith Fay & Associates, you have the entire backing of our firm, including the breadth and depth of our resources standing behind you.
What Damages Could Be Recovered in a Hit & Run Accident Claim?
These may include:
Economic Damages
Economic damages are tangible, measurable losses incurred as a result of the accident. These may include:
- Medical Expenses: Costs for emergency care, hospital stays, surgeries, medications, physical therapy, and ongoing treatment that is related to the accident.
- Lost Wages: Compensation for income lost because of time off work during recovery.
- Future Lost Earnings: If injuries result in a reduced ability to work or a permanent disability, victims can claim compensation for diminished earning capacity.
- Property Damage: Costs for restoring or replacing a damaged vehicle and any other personal property impacted in the accident.
- Out-of-Pocket Expenses: Miscellaneous costs like transportation to medical appointments or modifications to a home to accommodate a disability.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages compensate for the less tangible but equally substantial impacts of the accident. These may include the following:
- Pain and Suffering: Physical pain and discomfort caused by the injuries.
- Emotional Distress: Psychological effects like anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: Diminished capability to enjoy hobbies, activities, or everyday life due to injuries.
- Loss of Consortium: Compensation for the negative effect on relationships with a spouse or family members.
Punitive Damages
In rare cases, punitive damages may be granted. These are not intended to compensate the victim but rather to penalize the at-fault driver for extremely reckless or egregious behavior, such as fleeing the scene under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
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“Communication was excellent between client and customer.”
- Precious N.I'd like to first and foremost THANK Michael Fay and Associates for taking on my case. It was a slow process but they were able to retrieve the amount they were shooting for. Communication was excellent between client and customer. I'm very satisfied with the service and outcome. I'd HIGHLY recommend them to handle and settle any case of mine in the future, if need be. Outstanding company!!!
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“I would recommended Eric in a heart beat”
- Melissa M.I would recommended Eric in a heart beat he handle my case he was there for me all the way and he fights for the rights for his clients he helped me all the way I couldn't ask for any other attorney but him he is an excellent attorney if anyone needs a work comp/injury attorney hire Eric he is the best attorney my work comps case we won the case he will fight for you no matter what , thank you Eric for everything you did for me and my family I rate Eric 10 plus more stars!
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“Michael was amazing throughout the whole process!”
- Dakotah L.Highly recommend Michael! I called him when I was in a car accident and he was amazing throughout the whole process!
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“I will definitely be referring them to everyone!”
- Nancy G.They did a great job handling my accident. They answered every question quickly and helped me through the entire process. I will definitely be referring them to everyone!
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“Hands down Eric Nelson is the best attorney in the state of Minnesota”
- Darren S.I’m from Dallas Texas and I got hurt during a job in Minnesota. Hands down Eric Nelson is the best attorney in the state of Minnesota. I told him what was going on with my case and he fought tooth & mail for me. Trust me you are in great hands
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“Eric made sure that I have medical paid for any future medical needs for my injury.”
- Sheryl O.Eric Nelson represents me. He helped me in my worker's comp case. He went above and beyond to make sure my needs were attended to. He made sure that I have medical paid for any future medical needs for my injury. I highly recommend Fay & Associates.
Contact Our Hit & Run Accident Attorney in Minneapolis Today
The work required to attempt to locate a hit-and-run driver cannot be overstated. Witnesses to events at the time of an accident can be helpful, but recollections fade, and memories can change. If a driver was believed to have been fleeing the scene, witnesses may mistakenly misidentify other drivers. If the driver who fled caused minimal damage and was traveling at relatively low speed, there may not be much to record the event beyond memories of the event and brief statements in police reports.
We have helped many hit-and-run accident victims recover damages. If you become a client, we will work to provide not only legal counsel but personal support and understanding at every stage of your case. We are here to help.
Call (612) 888-8354 or contact us online today to discuss your case with our Minneapolis hit & run accident lawyer. Se habla Español.
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