A driver hits you, and before you have time to understand what happened, they’re gone. Now you’re dealing with injuries, vehicle damage, medical bills, and a lot of unanswered questions. A hit and run accident lawyer in Kennesaw will help you figure out where to turn next and what options you have for pursuing the damages you deserve.
At Jones & Swanson, we’ve been practicing personal injury law since 1995, and we believe personal service still matters. When you work with our car accident lawyer in Kennesaw, you aren’t passed around or treated like another case number.
We keep our firm small by choice. That means you’ll have a specific team working with you, returning your calls, answering questions, and giving you straightforward advice about what comes next.
What To Do After a Hit and Run Accident
The moments after a hit and run can feel chaotic. You might be trying to remember the other vehicle while also realizing that you’re hurt. Your first priority should be your safety and getting medical attention when you need it.
The Georgia Department of Driver Services instructs drivers involved in certain crashes to stop, provide reasonable assistance to injured people, exchange identifying information, and notify law enforcement when required.
Georgia DDS also identifies hit and run or leaving the scene of a crash under O.C.G.A. § 40-6-270.
If another driver leaves, there are still practical things you can do:
- Call law enforcement: Ask an officer to respond and make sure the accident is documented in a police report.
- Get medical care: Some injuries, including concussion and other traumatic brain injury symptoms, aren’t immediately obvious.
- Document the accident scene: Take photos of vehicle damage, debris, skid marks, nearby businesses, and anything else that might matter.
- Look for witnesses: Someone nearby might have seen the vehicle, driver, license plate, or direction of travel.
- Preserve key details: Write down whatever you remember about the other vehicle before those details become harder to recall.
You don’t need to investigate everything yourself. Our personal injury lawyers in Kennesaw will help identify what evidence is available and what should happen next.
How a Hit and Run Accident Lawyer in Kennesaw Will Help
Finding a driver who fled isn’t always simple. Sometimes a witness caught part of a license plate. A nearby business may have surveillance cameras. In other cases, law enforcement identifies the driver later. Each case starts with different facts, which is why we don’t approach these claims as if they’re all the same.
Our team will review the police report, medical records, photographs, witness information, repair estimates, and other critical evidence. We will also handle communication with insurers so you aren’t stuck going back and forth with an insurance company while you’re trying to recover.
If the other driver isn’t identified, that doesn’t automatically mean there is no path forward. Depending on your policy and the circumstances, uninsured motorist coverage could become important. We will review the available insurance coverage and explain what it actually means for your case.
What Damages Could Be Part of Your Claim?
A hit and run can create expenses quickly. There are the obvious repair costs, but an injury may also keep you from working or require weeks or months of medical care. The financial impact isn’t always clear during the first few days.
Depending on your injuries and the facts surrounding the crash, damages in personal injury cases may include:
- Medical bills: Emergency treatment, physician visits, rehabilitation, imaging, medication, and other necessary medical expenses.
- Lost income: Wages and other income you lose because your injuries keep you from working.
- Vehicle damage: Repair costs or other covered losses related to damage to your car.
- Transportation expenses: Reasonable costs resulting from losing access to your vehicle after the crash.
- Pain and suffering: The physical pain and broader personal impact caused by your injuries.
- Future losses: Ongoing medical care or other losses that are reasonably connected to a serious injury.
We take a holistic approach to accident claims. That means looking beyond today’s bills and considering how an injury has actually affected your life.
Dealing With the Insurance Company After a Hit and Run
An insurance claim can become frustrating when there isn’t another driver standing there with an insurance card. Your own insurer may need information about the accident, your medical treatment, the police investigation, and the damage to your vehicle.
Be careful about assuming the insurance company has the same priorities you do. Statements, medical records, correspondence with insurance companies, and even social media activity could become relevant as a claim develops. Before giving detailed statements or accepting a payment, it helps to understand what you’re agreeing to.
Our hit and run accident attorney in Kennesaw will deal with insurers, keep track of important documentation, and work to pursue fair damages under the circumstances. We will give you realistic expectations too. Straightforward legal advice is part of the service we believe every client should receive.
How Long Do You Have to File a Personal Injury Claim in Georgia?
Time matters after a motor vehicle accident, even when police haven’t identified the person who hit you. Evidence disappears. Surveillance footage can be overwritten, witnesses forget details, and records become more difficult to locate.
Georgia Code § 9-3-33 generally provides a two-year statute of limitations for actions involving injuries to the person, although exceptions and other rules can affect a particular case. You shouldn’t assume that waiting until the end of that period is safe. Starting earlier gives our accident attorneys more time to investigate and preserve vital evidence.
There can also be separate deadlines involving insurance policies or particular claims. We will review the circumstances of your accident and explain which deadlines apply rather than leaving you to sort through them alone.
Talk to Jones & Swanson About Your Kennesaw Hit and Run
After someone drives away from an accident, it’s normal to wonder who will pay your medical bills, whether the driver will ever be found, or whether hiring our lawyer is even worth it. Those are questions we deal with every day. You don’t need to know how the process works before calling us.
Jones & Swanson is a hometown personal injury law firm focused on relationships and personal service. We are not a settlement mill. Our lawyers have more than 50 years of combined experience, and we work on a contingency fee basis in personal injury matters. We will explain the fee agreement and attorney-client relationship clearly before you move forward.
If you’re looking for a hit and run accident lawyer in Kennesaw, contact Jones & Swanson for a free consultation. You will have a dedicated team that knows the local community and will take the time to understand what happened to you.
Call us and tell us what happened so we can start working toward the best outcome available for your case.
