Being involved in a hit-and-run accident in Massachusetts can be frightening and overwhelming, whether it happens on the busy streets of Boston, along Route 9 in Framingham, on I-290 in Worcester, or anywhere else across Massachusetts. One moment you're driving along, and the next, another driver has crashed into you and fled the scene. If this happens to you anywhere in the Greater Boston area, Central Massachusetts, or MetroWest region, it's important to know what steps to take to protect yourself, your health, and your legal rights.
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Your First Priority After a Massachusetts Hit-and-Run: Safety and Getting Help
After a hit-and-run accident in Massachusetts, your immediate focus should be on safety. Whether you're on Storrow Drive in Boston, the Mass Pike near Framingham, or Route 146 in Worcester, if you can safely move your vehicle out of traffic, do so. Check yourself and any passengers for injuries, then call 911 right away. When you speak with the dispatcher, make sure to mention that the other driver left the scene and provide your specific location.
This is crucial because hit-and-run accidents are criminal matters throughout Massachusetts, from Suffolk County to Worcester County to Middlesex County, and it helps ensure officers respond quickly. Massachusetts State Police, Boston Police, Worcester Police, Framingham Police, and local departments across our Massachusetts communities all take hit-and-run investigations seriously.
While you're waiting for police to arrive, try to gather as much information as you can about what happened. Time is not on your side in these situations – memories fade quickly, and physical evidence can disappear. Use your phone to take photos of the damage to your vehicle, the accident scene itself, any skid marks or debris, and any visible injuries you or your passengers may have sustained.
Even if you feel fine right after the crash, it's essential to seek medical attention as soon as possible. Whether you go to Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester, or any local emergency rooms or urgent care centers, getting prompt medical treatment not only protects your health but also creates important documentation linking your injuries to the accident. Adrenaline can mask pain and injuries that might not become apparent until hours or even days later.
Why Boston, Worcester, and Framingham Hit-and-Run Victims Need a Police Report
A police report is absolutely essential after a hit-and-run anywhere in Massachusetts. The report serves as the official record of the incident and provides critical documentation to support your insurance and injury claim.
After a car crash where police are called to the scene, most police departments across Massachusetts typically complete crash reports within five to ten days. Thes reports are called Motor Vehicle Crash Police Reports and most of these are obtainable online after a crash. You'll need either your case number or the date, location, and your name to retrieve it.
Additionally, Massachusetts General Law Chapter 90, Section 26 requires a person who was operating a motor vehicle involved in a crash in which (i) any person was killed or (ii) injured or (iii) in which there was damage in excess of $1,000 to any one vehicle or other property, to complete and file a Crash Operator Report with the Registrar within five (5) days after the crash.
Getting your hands on this report quickly is important for several reasons. Your insurance company will require it to process any insurance claims including an uninsured motorist coverage claim. The report may contain witness information you didn't catch at the scene, and the officer's observations can support your account of what happened. Additionally, if there are any errors in the report, you'll want to get them corrected before they affect your claim. If police eventually locate the hit-and-run driver anywhere in Massachusetts, they'll update the report with that driver's information, which can significantly change the nature of your Massachusetts car accident claim.
Understanding Uninsured Motorist Coverage for Massachusetts Hit-and-Run Accidents
Here's some good news for drivers throughout Massachusetts, from Boston to Worcester to Framingham and all surrounding communities: In Massachusetts, uninsured motorist coverage is compulsory – meaning our laws requires insurance companies to include this coverage in the standard Massachusetts auto policies. This coverage becomes incredibly valuable after a hit-and-run accident anywhere in the state, essentially treating the situation as if an uninsured driver had stayed at the scene.
Your uninsured motorist coverage can pay for medical bills, lost wages, and compensation for pain and suffering – all the damages the fleeing driver should have been responsible for. In most cases, this coverage also includes property damage, though some policies separate these coverages.
Massachusetts drivers may have other insurance coverages that can help as well. Medical Payments coverage can handle immediate medical expenses regardless of who was at fault. Collision coverage can pay for vehicle repairs when the at-fault driver can't be found. If the driver is eventually located but doesn't have enough insurance, your Underinsured Motorist coverage may step in. And rental car coverage can keep you mobile while your vehicle is being repaired at a body shop in Boston, Worcester, Framingham, or anywhere else in Eastern or Central Massachusetts.
Make sure to contact your insurance company promptly after your Massachusetts hit-and-run accident. Keep detailed records of all your conversations and correspondence with them. Before accepting any settlement offers, you may want to consider getting legal representation from an experienced Massachusetts car accident attorney who understands the unique challenges of hit-and-run cases in Boston, Worcester, Framingham, and throughout the Greater Boston area, MetroWest, and Central Massachusetts.
Gathering Evidence After a Hit-and-Run in Massachusetts
The more evidence you can collect immediately after a hit-and-run in Massachusetts, the better chance you have of strengthening both the police investigation and your insurance claim. Regardless of where your accident occurred in Massachusetts, if you caught even a glimpse of the fleeing vehicle, write down everything you remember: the color, make, model, even partial license plate numbers. Note where the vehicle was damaged or if it had any distinctive features like bumper stickers or decals. Even general descriptions can help narrow down the search across Massachusetts communities.
If you have a dashcam, save that footage immediately – it could be invaluable for your Massachusetts hit-and-run case. Ask any witnesses if they captured video on their phones, as bystanders sometimes record crucial moments without realizing it.
Don't overlook evidence beyond the immediate accident scene in busy areas like Boston, Worcester, Framingham, or your local Massachusetts community. Security cameras at nearby businesses, ATMs, gas stations, and even residential Ring doorbells might have captured the fleeing vehicle. Traffic cameras and parking lot surveillance systems often record hit-and-run drivers as they escape. The responsible driver may have damaged other vehicles along their route through Massachusetts or sought repairs at local body shops in Boston, Worcester, Framingham, Waltham, Newton, Natick, Marlborough, Quincy, Braintree, or surrounding towns.
An experienced Massachusetts hit-and-run accident attorney can be tremendously helpful in this evidence-gathering phase. While you focus on your medical treatment and recovery, a lawyer serving Boston, Worcester, Framingham, and all of Eastern and Central Massachusetts can handle the time-intensive work of tracking down witnesses, reviewing hours of surveillance footage from locations throughout Massachusetts, and following up on leads through community networks and social media. They know which body shops to contact across Massachusetts, and how to legally obtain repair records. This professional investigation often uncovers evidence that significantly increases the chances of identifying the responsible driver anywhere in Massachusetts.
When Massachusetts Police Find the Hit-and-Run Driver
Sometimes, police investigations by Boston Police, Worcester Police, Framingham Police, Massachusetts State Police, or local departments throughout Massachusetts succeed in identifying hit-and-run drivers days, weeks, or even months after the accident. When this happens anywhere in Massachusetts, your legal options expand considerably.
Instead of relying solely on your uninsured motorist coverage, you can pursue claims directly against the responsible driver and their insurance company. This shift can potentially increase your compensation.
Criminal charges against the located driver can strengthen your civil case significantly throughout Massachusetts. Under Massachusetts law, leaving the scene of an accident causing personal injury is punishable by imprisonment for not less than six months and up to two years in the House of Corrections. If the driver is convicted or pleads guilty in criminal proceedings, this provides powerful evidence of liability in your civil claim. The driver's attempt to escape responsibility also demonstrates what's legally known as "consciousness of guilt."
When the driver is located, your Massachusetts car accident attorney can coordinate between multiple insurance companies – continuing your uninsured motorist benefits while investigating the at-fault driver's coverage, filing claims against their liability insurance, and pursuing the driver personally if they lack adequate coverage. If the located driver has minimal insurance, your underinsured motorist coverage may supplement their liability limits to ensure you receive full compensation for your Massachusetts hit-and-run accident.
Massachusetts courts in Boston, Worcester, Framingham, Cambridge, and throughout the Commonwealth can also order criminal restitution in hit-and-run convictions, requiring drivers to pay victims' documented losses. While this is helpful, criminal restitution rarely covers all damages, particularly pain and suffering. Pursuing parallel civil claims with an experienced Massachusetts personal injury lawyer ensures you receive compensation for losses the criminal system doesn't address.
Massachusetts Time Limits for Hit-and-Run Accident Claims
Massachusetts gives you three years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit against the negligent driver, if they are identified. However, uninsured claims arising from hit-and-run accidents in Massachusetts has a six year statute of limitations as these are considered contractual claims – not tort claims. Missing this deadline typically eliminates your right to seek court-ordered compensation, regardless of how serious your injuries are.
Despite these statutes of limitations, insurance claims follow different, often shorter timelines throughout Massachusetts. Your policy likely requires "prompt" notification of accidents, which generally means within days or weeks, not months. Delaying notification can give insurers grounds to deny coverage for your Massachusetts hit-and-run accident, even if you're still within the three-year or six-year deadlines. It's important to review your policy's specific requirements and comply with all notice provisions.
Get Help from an Experienced Massachusetts Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer
Hit-and-run accidents are complex throughout Massachusetts, involving both criminal investigations and civil insurance matters. Whether your accident happened in Boston, Worcester, Framingham, Cambridge, Newton, Brookline, Quincy, Waltham, Watertown, Needham, Wellesley, Dedham, Braintree, Weymouth, Natick, Marlborough, Shrewsbury, Auburn, Lexington, Arlington, Belmont, Medford, Malden, Revere, or any surrounding Massachusetts city or town, an experienced hit-and-run accident lawyer serving Greater Boston, MetroWest, and Central Massachusetts can guide you through this process.
A knowledgeable Massachusetts car accident attorney can handle communications with insurance companies, gather evidence to identify the fleeing driver across Massachusetts communities, work with police departments throughout Boston, Worcester, Framingham, and surrounding areas, and fight to ensure you receive the full compensation you deserve. Your quick actions after a Massachusetts hit-and-run accident, combined with professional legal representation from a lawyer who knows Boston, Worcester, Framingham, and all of Eastern and Central Massachusetts, give you the best chance at both physical and financial recovery.
If you've been injured in a hit-and-run accident anywhere in Massachusetts – from the streets of Boston to the highways of Worcester to the roads of Framingham and throughout Greater Boston, MetroWest, Central Massachusetts, and all surrounding communities – contact our experienced Framingham hit-and-run accident lawyer today by calling (508) 879-3500 or contact us online for a free consultation about your case.
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