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Injured in a No-Contact Car Crash?

On Behalf of | Sep 11, 2020 | Car Accidents

A no-contact car crash often occurs when an impaired or distracted driver loses control of a vehicle causing a crash or a near-miss with another vehicle.

No-Contact Car Crashes Caused by Phantom Drivers

Not all car accidents are caused by vehicle collisions or vehicles slamming into a fixed object. Single-vehicle accidents where another driver causes the accident but does not make contact with the first vehicle, are referred to by law enforcement as no-contact car crashes. The police will note the accident report assigning fault to a phantom driver.

Phantom drivers are considered hit-and-run drivers because after causing an accident, they leave the scene without taking responsibility for the crash. Because the at-fault driver leaves without providing his/her identification, contact information, or insurance information,  it is often difficult for victims to file claims for property damages and injuries or file injury lawsuits with an accident lawyer.

Common causes of no-contact car crashes include:

  • Running red lights and stop signs
  • Carelessly drifting into another driver’s lane
  • Merging without using blinkers
  • Passing another driver while it is unsafe
  • Slamming on the brakes
  • Littering and tossing items out of the window

No-contact accidents are often caused by drunk/impaired drivers, distracted drivers, or drivers with reckless behaviors. When a phantom driver causes another driver to swerve, drive off the road, slam on the brakes, or lose control of a vehicle, the phantom driver is at-fault for the accident. However, phantom drivers speed off leaving other drivers to suffer the consequences of the no-contact accident.

Filing a No-Contact Accident Claim

When filing a claim that involves a no-contact car accident and a phantom driver, an accident attorney can help by talking to the victim’s insurance company and investigating the accident for information on the at-fault driver.

Typically, these types of accidents happen quickly and drivers cannot gather information when the phantom driver flees the scene. If possible, it is important to write down details of the accident and anything that may help police identify the phantom driver such as the make and color or the car, license plate number, description of the driver, or other identifying details.

If there are no injuries, it is important to take photographs of the accident scene and vehicle damages. Victims should call the police to report the accident, wait for them to respond to the scene, and file an official police report.