Whether you are the victim or the offender, many people don’t know what to do after a hit and run. It’s a serious offence in Alberta, and that can cause panic for the person who hit a car and left the scene, and can leave victims scared and confused about what the next steps are to take.
Whether it was a small bump in a parking lot or a more serious collision on a provincial highway, it’s important to understand what to do after a hit and run. Making the right decisions can reduce legal repercussions, help with insurance, and even make a difference in whether criminal charges are filed.
What Qualifies as a Hit & Run in Alberta?
Hit and run charges in Alberta are a big deal. In fact, they’re the most serious types of charges under the Alberta Traffic Safety Act. As a driver, when you’re involved in a collision, you have duties that are laid out in Section 69 of the province’s rules and regulations. They include:
- Remaining at or immediately returning to the scene of an accident
- Assisting where possible
- Providing your name, address, driver’s license, license plate of your vehicle, and insurance document
The consequences will depend on the severity of the offence, but it’s important to remember that a hit and run charge can be for something as simple as bumping a parked car in a parking lot and not leaving a note.
If somebody is injured or killed, the repercussions are significantly higher, but hit and run charges are not limited to big crashes where a driver leaves the scene.
With that in mind, it’s important to know what to do after a hit and run.
What to Do After a Hit & Run (If You’re the Victim)
If you are the victim of a hit and run, it can be a scary and unnerving experience. Whether you or a passenger is injured or there’s light damage to your car, in the moment, you may not know what to do after a hit and run, and that’s understandable.
But there are a few key things to remember:
- Do Not Attempt to Follow the Vehicle
The Calgary Police Service is very clear on this. Even if you didn’t see a car that hit you, following it to confront the driver or get more information can put your safety and the public’s at risk. There’s a real temptation not to let the car that hit yours get away when you’re figuring out what to do after a hit and run, but it should always be avoided.
- Contact Emergency Services
If anyone is hurt in the hit and run, call for an ambulance immediately. That’s the most important step.
Calling the police or filing a police report is also important, as it can be the first step in seeking justice or compensation from an insurance company. Even for minor damage where the driver left after hitting your vehicle in a parking lot, filing a police report is an important step in what to do when someone hits your parked car in Canada.
- Stay at the Scene
This is one of the most important things to remember as you figure out what to do after a hit and run: Don’t leave the scene of the hit and run before you’ve collected evidence, called the police, and spoken with any potential witnesses.
This is true whether you discovered that your car was bumped in a parking lot or if you were driving and got hit by another driver who then fled the scene.
If you can, try to obtain:
- The license plate number of the other vehicle involved in the hit and run
- The vehicle description
- A description of the driver
- The last direction of travel of the vehicle
It can be very helpful to have independent witnesses who can provide unbiased information, so ask anyone who saw what happened to stay until the police arrive. Other cars nearby may have dashcam footage, too.
- Contact Your Insurance Company
Inform your insurance company that you were the victim of a hit and run as quickly as possible, even if the person who hit you or your car isn’t located. You weren’t at fault, so your insurance company should cover most of the damage caused, even if the vehicle that hit yours is never found or charged.
What to Do After a Hit & Run (If You Left the Scene)
There are serious consequences to hit and run incidents in Alberta, and knowing what to do after a hit and run can make a huge difference. Those repercussions include:
- A maximum of seven demerit points
- Fines up to $2,300
- Possible criminal charges
- Major increases in insurance premiums
Not all hit and run accidents are the same, but it’s important to remember that you are not allowed to leave the scene of an accident you were involved in under any circumstances. The severity of the consequences you’ll face will vary based on whether anyone was hurt in the accident and how serious the damage is.
Even if you hit a parked car and the owner isn’t there, you’re legally required to leave a note. If you don’t, it can result in a charge for Failure to Remain at the Scene of an Accident, which is commonly called a hit and run.
Going back to the scene and turning yourself in can be helpful, too. It may not result in the hit and run charges being dropped entirely, but cooperating with police can lead to better outcomes.
If you were involved in a hit and run, you may experience some panic, so it’s important to understand that you do have options. People make mistakes, and while the consequences of a hit and run are serious, you can and should fight them.
Why Fight a Hit & Run Charge?
The consequences of a hit and run charge are serious, and that means that when you’re wondering what to do after a hit and run, you should always fight the charge. Because hit and run charges come with mandatory court appearances, it only makes sense to fight for the best possible outcome for yourself as a driver.
At We Defend, our team understands that mistakes happen, and we’ve been helping Albertans defend themselves after they were involved in a hit and run accident for decades. A hit and run charge often comes with big fines, costly increases to your insurance premiums, and demerit points that can lead to a license suspension.
Arguing that you didn’t intend to cause harm or had a viable reason for leaving the scene of an accident can help you reduce or avoid the penalties that come with a hit and run charge. Hiring representation is the most important step you can take if you’ve been charged with a hit and run.
Fight Hit & Run Charges with We Defend
It’s understandable if you don’t know what to do after a hit and run. They aren’t regular occurrences for many people, so you may feel panic about making a mistake and the consequences you may face.
Don’t know what to do after a hit and run? Having We Defend in your corner means getting help from an experienced team to minimize the worst consequences and assist with every step of the process.
“My experience with We Defend Tickets has been nothing but exceptional. Stewart Dixon helped me with a hit and run I was allegedley involved in. He was able to go to court on my behalf and stand up to the alligations which lacked evidence that he was able to sucessfully point out and charges were withdrawn.” – J Deveroe
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FAQ
Does insurance cover a parked car after a hit and run in Alberta?
Returning to your car and seeing that it’s been hit while parked can be a scary and frustrating experience, but fortunately insurance companies will almost always cover the costs. Make sure you report the damage to the police within 24 hours, as that can be a requirement, but contacting insurance is also an important part of what to do when someone hits your car.
Do hit and runs affect insurance premiums?
Absolutely. Hit and runs are serious offences in Alberta and come with heavy fines and demerit points, but nobody should forget about the hidden cost of insurance premium increases. These costs can actually wind up adding up to more than the initial fine and are a big reason why it’s always worth it to fight a hit and run charge.