My insurance company won’t pay my medical bills after I was involved in a hit and run car accident. What do I do?

First, if you were involved in a hit and run accident, or even if another vehicle didn’t contact your car but ran you off the road and caused you to crash, you should immediately call the police from the scene of the accident. If you were injured, you are clearly entitled to have your medical bills covered by your no-fault insurance. You may also be entitled to recover for your unpaid and future medical bills, unpaid and future lost income (due to your injuries) and pain and suffering damages if you have uninsured/ underinsured motorist (“UM”) coverage. This is important coverage to have on your auto policy, but it is not required by law. If your UM carrier gives you a hard time or attempts to deny that the accident involved another vehicle, which is generally called a phantom vehicle, you need to get a lawyer. Under Florida law, even if the phantom vehicle did not make physical contact with your car, you may still have a case. Also, keep a disposable camera in your car so you can take pictures immediately after a crash. If you don’t have UM coverage on your policy, call your agent and buy the insurance if you can afford it in the event of a future accident.