Can someone report you for hitting their car if they only have your license plate number?- car accident
A hit and run crime is committed when one or more of the drivers that were involved in an auto accident chooses to flee or leave the scene of an accident.
This traffic offense is highly punishable by law here in the United States because it usually puts the lives of the victims at risk of dying due to the negligence of the parties that fled the scene.
To hold liable the driver that fled the scene of an accident, the victim needs a strong incriminating piece of evidence.
For instance, the victim should be able to tell the color of the car, make, and model, identify the victim, and provide the registration, insurance information, and license plate information.
But because the other driver fled the scene without stopping to share the above information, the victims are usually left with no information.
Without the required information, you won’t file a claim settlement, nor will you file civil or criminal lawsuits against the driver then left the scene.
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Now the question is, how about if you only knew the car’s license plate number? Does knowing the car license plate information help in any way? How about the other required pieces of evidence or information?
Well, Yes, someone can report you for hitting their car if they only have your license plate number. The police can use the license plate number to identify the owner of the vehicle and track down the driver who hit your car.
But, What if the prosecutor or insurance company needs complete information? which other pieces of evidence are much stronger compared to the car’s license plate number? Will the insurance company believe in you by only showing up with the license plates?
Well, this article explores this very scenario and explains how to proceed with your claim, or report to the police if the only piece of evidence you have is a license plate number. Ready, let’s dive in now.
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What happens when someone takes down your license plate number?
Every one of us knows that police can connect the license plate number with the owner of the car, right? This implies that police can easily run the license plate number and look up the driver in case there is an event like an auto accident.
But remember, not all drivers that leave the scene of an accident drive their own cars. For example, there were more than 810,400 stolen cars in 2020, compared to 724,872 cars stolen in the year 2019 here in the USA.
What I need to remind you is that, the owner of the stolen car in a hit-and-run accident will not be held liable since he/she was not the one driving it.
The car owner will have a strong defense if he/she goes further to prove that his/her car had been stolen prior to the hit-and-run accident.
In short, When someone takes down your license plate number, it may trigger an investigation or result in a warning or citation, depending on the circumstances and laws in your jurisdiction.
How to know if someone reported your license plate?
In my own opinion, there are several ways to know if someone reported your license plates. These include:
1. You can visit the website in your state where license plates are registered to check if yours are listed too.
2. You can also try online public records to find out if there are reports filed against your plates.
3. There are also free resources available online for looking up license plates and reporting bad vehicle drivers.
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4. To a few states, there is no way to tell if someone reported your plates following any incident. You must wait for the police to call.
In short, To determine if someone reported your license plate after a hit and run, check the state’s website, contact the police, search public records, or ask around. Provide relevant information to authorities.
What to do if someone falsely claims you hit their car?
Did you know that there is the possibility of getting false accusations? According to my research, between 1-5% of the prison population here in the US are on false convictions.
The above findings imply that more than 2.3 million Americans are serving prison time for cases they did not commit. Yes, someone can falsely claim you hit their car and even get jail time for that.
If someone falsely claims you hit their car, the following may happen:
1. Police or insurance will likely approach you. Do not give them any information in the absence of your lawyer. It’s your national constitutional right not to speak anything.
2. Your state will press criminal charges against you. You must speak to a criminal defense attorney as soon as possible.
3. Do not speak to police officers, or at least be wary of them. Police officers have mastered ways of tricking you to say words that will later be used against you.
4. Do not talk to anyone about the case. Do not discuss the case on your social networks either. Police today have devised better ways of taking advantage of social media platforms during investigations.
5. If it’s true you were involved in the accident, make sure you provide as much evidence and information about the other car to the police.
6. Look for eyewitnesses and share their contact and address information with the police.
7. You can decide to track down the driver by your own means if you know exactly who is to blame. Look for any piece of information and share it with the police.
“If falsely accused of hitting someone’s car, gather evidence, avoid admitting fault, and contact a criminal lawyer and personal injury attorney. Avoid confrontation and talking to insurance adjusters.”, remarks Steven J. Malman, a car accident attorney from Malman law firm.
Someone hit my car and drove off; I have their number plate.
Many states require drivers that hit other cars to locate the owner of the cars and exchange personal details. Alternatively, you must leave a note stuck on the car you just hit if you failed to locate the other driver.
If someone hit your car and drove off, but you have their license plate number, here are the steps you should take:
1. Contact the police immediately. You must invite the police to the scene to compile a car accident police report. This will help to kick start police investigation and rise chances of finding the hit-and-run driver.
2. Provide information to the authorities. You must tell all that you know about the car to the police and the insurance company.
3. Look for eyewitnesses. There could be a chance someone else witnessed the accident and therefore could provide you with clues about the car that left the scene of the accident.
4. Take note of what you say. Yes, speak with the police and insurance company but make sure you are not compromising your chances of getting compensated or getting things to turn the tables against you in courts of law.
5. Consult with a personal injury lawyer if you think it’s going to be beneficial. Most personal injury lawyers offer free consultations. Schedule to speak to one of them.
6. Hand over all the pieces of evidence you have to the police. Even partial license plate information could be the missing jigsaw as far as investigating a car accident is concerned.
“If someone hits your car and drives off, gather information such as their license plate number, contact the police, and inform your insurance company,” concludes Patricia Gifford, a personal injury lawyer at Malman Law Firm, Chicago.
Can you file an insurance claim with just a license plate number?
Yes, you can file an insurance claim with just a license plate number. In fact, below are some of the steps you need to follow.
1. Get as many details about the other car as possible. The license plate information is good.
2. Contact the police immediately after the incident. Police may choose to come to the scene if it’s a serious accident.
3. Provide as much information about the other car to the police and your insurance company. Some insurance companies may choose to assign their own investigators before they cut you a settlement payout.
4. Did you know it’s possible to tell if the at-fault car has insurance coverage or not if you have their license plate? yes, you can. Visit your state’s DMV and ascertain insurance coverage.
You will most likely be compensated by your own insurance company if the driver on the run has no insurance coverage. Additionally, why would pursue someone who has nothing to compensate you with?
5. Identify the other driver’s personal information like name, location, and insurance coverage by running the license plates with DMV.
6. Speak to an attorney. You won’t easily get compensated if the other driver fled the accident scene and you have limited information.
The insurance company will want to deny you compensation payout because they do not how they will recover their money. Even if you had concrete evidence, expect to have negotiations with the insurance company.
Research has shown that hiring a car accident attorney increases your likelihood of receiving a compensation settlement amount that is 2-5X higher.
What happens if someone reported your license plate number to the police?
Your license plates can be reported for many things like involvement in an auto crash, expiration, and or risky behaviors.
The following happens if someone reported your license plate number to the police.
1. Police will launch an investigation in which your license plate number is implicated.
2. The implications of having your license plate number reported is that police will hunt you down and hold you responsible for the crime or any violations committed.
3. If the police think you have no case to answer, they may never reach out to you.
4. You may be contacted by police if they think there is any way you could in the investigation processes. The cops might come to your house for questioning or be invited to the police station.
“If someone reports your license plate number to the police after an accident, they will investigate the incident and may bring charges if you were involved in a hit-and-run,” remarks Terrence E. Davey, a hit and run lawyer in Chicago.
Will cops come to your house for a hit and run?
Yes, police will come to your house for a hit-and-run if there are reasons to believe you have something to do with the incident.
This implies police may come to your home if you are a possible eyewitness or if they think you are one of the drivers involved in the accident.
But, the police will want to do thorough investigations before a decision to knock on your door is made. If the police think you are the driver that fled the scene, they will definitely come to your house to arrest you.
In short, “If you were involved in a hit and run, the police may come to your house to investigate the incident and bring criminal charges against you,” says Matthew R. Heimlich, senior associate attorney in Chicago.
Conclusion.
What to do after a hit and run but you only have the license plates? well, my recommendation is that you must invite police to the scene of an accident immediately, notify your insurance company and continue to gather pieces of evidence.
Can someone report you for hitting their car if they only have your license plate number? Yes, someone can report you for hitting their car if they only have your license plate number, and the police will investigate the incident.
SOURCE
1. Car Number Plates Explained. jct600. https://www.jct600.co.uk/news/car-number-plates-explained/
2. License Plate Lookup. faxvin. https://www.faxvin.com/license-plate-lookup
3. Brian, Onyango. (September 18, 2022). What Happens If Someone Reports Your License Plate? vehiclefreak. https://vehiclefreak.com/what-happens-if-someone-reports-your-license-plate/
4. What Happens To Hit And Run Drivers Who Are Later Found By Their License Plate? thehivelaw. https://www.thehivelaw.com/blog/what-happens-to-hit-and-run-drivers-who-are-later-found-by-their-license-plate/#:~:text=Yes%2C%20someone%20can%20report%20you,have%20your%20license%20plate%20number.