Erie, Pennsylvania, Hit-And-Run Car Accident Lawyers

If You Have Sustained Serious Injuries in an Erie Hit-and-Run Accident, That Was Not Your Fault; The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. Could Help You Secure the Compensation You Need and the Justice You Deserve.

Automobile accidents are inherently traumatic events capable of inflicting devastating and potentially life-threatening injuries. Since Pennsylvania is a no-fault insurance state, victims must typically report the accident to their insurer and request reimbursement for their damages. If and when the policy cannot cover a survivor's outstanding and anticipated expenses, additional compensation could be obtained by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the at-fault motorist and their insurance carrier. However, not every driver stops to exchange insurance information or wait for a police response. When the other motorist flees the scene of a crash before they can be identified, negotiating a fair settlement could present unexpected and seemingly insurmountable challenges.

The Dietrich Law Firm P.C. is committed to defending the rights of accident victims across Erie. If you, or a loved one, have been injured in a Pennsylvania hit-and-run accident, you should not be forced to pay out-of-pocket for the other motorist's misconduct. Since our founding in 2005, our highly experienced team of attorneys has helped our clients secure more than $175 million in damages—money that survivors and their loved ones have used to eradicate their medical debt, seek superior health care, and begin the difficult task of rebuilding their lives after a tragic accident. We could help you, too. Please send us a message online or call us at 814-839-3939 to speak to a legal professional and schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

Hit-and-run accidents happen with alarming regularity: according to the American Automobile Association, a hit-and-run crash happens once every 43 seconds. In the span of a single recent year, researchers found that an estimated 737,100 individuals were involved in hit-and-run collisions, which resulted in about 138,500 injuries and 1,819 fatalities.

Unfortunately, Pennsylvania suffers more than its fair share of hit-and-run accidents. Over a ten-year timespan, local law enforcement reported an average of 35 hit-and-run-related fatalities across the Keystone State. While many of these collisions are reported in large cities like Philadelphia, Erie is no exception to what the American Automobile Association has characterized as an alarming increase in hit-and-run crashes and hit-and-run fatalities. In one incident, a negligent motorist traversing West 18^th Street and Chestnut Street struck another vehicle, sending its three occupants to the hospital.

For many hit-and-run accident victims, filing a car insurance claim and obtaining fair compensation is an uphill battle. However, the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. is committed to providing unparalleled personal injury service. We know what it takes to show an insurance adjuster, a judge, or a jury that you should not have to bear the burden of a car crash that was not your fault. Please send us a message online or call us at 814-839-3939 to schedule your free consultation and discuss your options for legal relief.

Since automobile insurance companies are for-profit enterprises, they typically prioritize the preservation of their own profit margins over paying fair settlements to survivors. Insurance adjusters often resort to a variety of strategies designed to devalue or deny claims for damages. These strategies include the following:

1. Demanding that victims provide recorded statements recounting their accident;
2. Asking that survivors attend independent medical examinations that may be designed to dismiss genuine accident-related injuries as pre-existing conditions; and
3. Burying claimants with paperwork requests, hoping that survivors will eventually accept a bad-faith settlement.

However, you do not have to tolerate the insurance company's potentially underhanded tactics. You could protect your rights to a full legal recovery by taking the following steps after an Erie hit-and-run accident:

1. Pull over to the side of the road immediately;
2. Ensure that you, and your passengers, are safe;
3. Call 9-1-1 or the Erie Police Department to report the accident;
4. Write down or otherwise record as much information as you can remember about the at-fault motorist's appearance and vehicle;
5. Ask any eyewitnesses for their full names, telephone numbers, and other contact information;
6. File a claim with your insurance company; and
7. Contact an experienced Erie, Pennsylvania, car accident lawyer to schedule your free, no-obligation consultation.

Pennsylvania's no-fault insurance laws oblige insurance companies to cover all or a portion of beneficiaries' medical expenses. However, the Keystone State's minimum insurance requirements are rarely sufficient to reimburse extensive medical expenses. Under ordinary circumstances, an injured motorist could file a personal injury claim against the at-fault motorist—but when the other driver flees the scene, victims may be forced to claim benefits under these coverages:

1. Personal Injury Protection: Pennsylvania requires that all motorists insured in-state carry personal injury protection covering at least $5,000 in medical benefits, payable to the policyholder and any other persons covered by the policy.
2. Uninsured Motorist Protection: Uninsured motorist protection is an optional addition to most insurance policies that provide benefits to you, your family, and your passengers for bodily injury if you are injured by an uninsured motorist. This coverage could also compensate hit-and-run accident victims.
3. Stacked Uninsured Motorist or Underinsured Motorist Coverage: When policyholders own or insure more than one vehicle, they can ask their insurance company to stack, or multiply, their benefits from multiple policies.

Hit-and-run accidents who were not inside a vehicle when they were injured could also be entitled to compensation, depending on the circumstances of the collision and the extent of their injuries. Please send the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. a message online or call us at 814-839-3939 to explore your options for recovering damages after a Pennsylvania hit-and-run collision.

Call the Dietrich Law Firm P.C. immediately at 814-839-3939 so that our aggressive, tenacious, and hardworking personal injury lawyers can fight to obtain the best result for your personal injury claim in Erie, Pennsylvania. We are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and there is never a fee until we WIN for you!