Hit-and-Run Accident on I-95 Leaves Franklin Man Seriously Injured

A 73-year-old man from Franklin, Virginia (VA) was standing by his Ford Taurus on Interstate 95 (I-95) early in the morning (around 4:15am) on March 15 when a terrible accident occurred. Another car drove by and slammed into both the Taurus and the 73-year-old man, according to Tidewaternews.com. If that wasn't bad enough, the at-fault driver fled the scene and just left the Franklin man to fend for himself.

The Franklin man is being treated at Fairfax Inova Hospital in Fairfax, VA. He suffered very serious injuries and there's no word whether he'll pull through at this point. I want to send my best to the victim and hope they survive this traumatic ordeal.

Getting into a car wreck is bad enough, but having the at-fault driver flee the scene makes a bad situation even worse. You might be asking yourself, "If police can't track down the at-fault driver, how will the victim cover their medical bills and get compensation for lost wages, pain and suffering, etc.?" It's a good question and everyone should be prepared to handle a situation like this if they fall victim to a hit-and-run driver.

In Virginia, car insurance policies are required to have what's called uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and you can obtain compensation through this provision. Essentially, your car insurance company provides a legal defense to the hit-and-run driver, even if they are never located, and the insurance company must pay up to the total uninsured motorist insurance coverage the policy provides (this depends on the severity of your injuries and the damages). Best of all, in the Commonwealth, your car insurance rates may not be increased simply for making this type claim, as long as the accident is not your fault.

Given the complexity that can arise from this type of car accident situation, we've written a special, in-depth consumer report about how to deal with uninsured/underinsured drivers and ways to protect yourself. Download the uninsured/underinsured driver report here for free.