Boy riding scooter killed by hit-and-run driver

A 4-year old boy from Sacramento was killed by a hit and run driver last week as he rode his scooter near an elementary school.  The car hit the boy and dragged him several feet before he was thrown clear.  He was taken to a local hospital before he was pronounced.

The law in Illinois considers hit-and-run drivers uninsured motorists.  In an uninsured motorist claim, your insurance company steps into the shoes of the uninsured driver and pays you (or your family) the damages that you are owed due to injuries from a car accident or from a wrongful death car accident.

Because your insurer is stepping into the place of the at-fault driver, you do not need to be in your vehicle at the time of the accident for your coverage to apply.  It can apply when you are the victim of a hit-and-run accident when you are a pedestrian or when you are riding your bike.

Uninsured motorist coverage also applies to relatives who reside with you.  This means that it covers your children if they are the victims of a hit and run accident while they are pedestrians.  Uninsured motorist and underinsured motorist coverage are types of auto insurance which protect you and your family, and as an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer, I always recommend to my clients that they purchase as much as they can comfortably afford, as it provides protection to them in the event of a serious accident such as this.