Prince William County police believe a man who was found dead near the side of the road on Saturday, August 3 was the victim of a hit-and-run crash. According to WUSA9.com, the accident occurred in Nokesville, Virginia, near Vint Hill Road and Broadlands Road.
Police suspect that the man was walking next to the road when he was hit by a vehicle possibly traveling westbound on Vint Hill Rd. The man was found early Saturday morning and pronounced dead at the scene, but police do not know the exact time of the accident.
Unfortunately, it is unlikely police will ever find the person who hit this man and left him to die. When there are no reported witnesses and the victim isn’t found until hours after the crash, it’s difficult for police to generate any leads unless a witness later comes forward or the driver tells someone who reports his confession to authorities.
Losing a loved one is devastating and overwhelming. Hit-and-run drivers act callously and inhumanely when they flee the scene of the accident. This man’s family will never know if his life could have been saved if the driver had called 911, regardless of whether he had the decency to stop and try to help the man he hit.
Hit-and-run accident victims and their families may think they have no way to recover the losses the driver’s actions caused, but this isn’t necessarily true. It may be possible to file a claim for compensation under the uninsured motorist provision of the victim’s auto insurance policy, even if police never find the driver who caused the accident. Insurance compensation won’t bring back a loved on, and it’s no substitute for holding the negligent driver responsible for his actions, but it can lessen the family’s financial burden to help them move forward.
Wrongful death claims are complicated, and a grieving family is ill-equipped to deal with a potentially uncooperative insurance company. A wrongful death lawyer can help a family determine whether they have a claim and navigate the process for them.
For more information, see our firm’s answers to frequently asked questions about wrongful death claims.
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