A recent hit-and-run car accident in Meriden has left an 18-year-old woman with a brain injury, a fractured spine and nerve damage in her left leg. The woman was riding as a passenger in a friend’s car proceeding through an intersection when an oncoming car made a left turn in front of them, striking them on the driver’s side.
The other driver initially pulled over in a nearby parking lot. But the woman’s friend said that when he turned his back on the other driver to check on the woman, the man drove off. At the time of this writing police have not identified the other driver. The woman’s medical bills total over $10,000 so far.
Hit-and-run accidents are particularly frustrating for injured victims and their families. Unable to identify the other driver or whether he or she had insurance, they may wonder how they can be compensated for their medical bills, not to mention their pain and suffering.
Connecticut law, however, provides a remedy for the victims in these situations. Connecticut requires that all automobile insurance policies include uninsured motorist coverage. This coverage is contained in the victim’s own policy or another policy under which they are an insured. It is designed to protect an accident victim if they are in an accident caused by a driver who was at fault and either had no insurance or, as in this case, cannot be identified because they fled the scene of the accident. In car accident cases the victim’s attorney will work to identify all applicable insurance policies.
Source: Record-Journal, “Injured woman and her family cope after hit-and-run accident in Meriden,” Eric Heredia, July 19, 2012
