What is the name of your state? North Carolina
A few days ago I was rear ended by a truck travelling at higher speeds than me and they made no attempt to stop. The driver left the accident on foot, before I could see the person. There was empty beer bottles in the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle is under suspicion due to her flimsey story and she was drunk (by breathalizer test) when they picked her up 15 minutes after the accident, but she is claiming someone else borrowed her vehicle. She has no insurance, no driver's license. My UM coverage is taking care of my totaled car and some minor injuries. But the price I am getting for my car isn't enough to put me back into a similar car. I have a deductible, lost time at work, time and milage to look for another car, etc. This is going to cost me time and money for another person's recklesness. And I want to see justice done to the guilty.
My questions are:
Can I sue the vehicle owner for those additional expenses, even if it was just in small claims court?
Do I have to wait for police charges first, even if they never charge the owner or find the actual driver?
What police charges can I expect them to be charged with?
A few days ago I was rear ended by a truck travelling at higher speeds than me and they made no attempt to stop. The driver left the accident on foot, before I could see the person. There was empty beer bottles in the vehicle. The owner of the vehicle is under suspicion due to her flimsey story and she was drunk (by breathalizer test) when they picked her up 15 minutes after the accident, but she is claiming someone else borrowed her vehicle. She has no insurance, no driver's license. My UM coverage is taking care of my totaled car and some minor injuries. But the price I am getting for my car isn't enough to put me back into a similar car. I have a deductible, lost time at work, time and milage to look for another car, etc. This is going to cost me time and money for another person's recklesness. And I want to see justice done to the guilty.
My questions are:
Can I sue the vehicle owner for those additional expenses, even if it was just in small claims court?
Do I have to wait for police charges first, even if they never charge the owner or find the actual driver?
What police charges can I expect them to be charged with?