A passenger ejected from and trapped under a car that rammed into a guardrail in the 2200 block of East Washington Street in Suffolk, Virginia (VA), was medevaced to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital late on the night of January 17, 2012. What caused the single-vehicle accident is not yet known because the driver fled the scene of the crash before police and emergency medical personnel arrived. WAVY-TV 10 is reporting that authorities “are following some leads” in an effort to get answers.
Tracking down the driver will allow police to determine whether criminal charges related to the accident should be filed. That outcome seems likely, since not staying at the scene after causing a wreck that results in injury, death or property damage is itself an offense under Virginia law. Identifying the driver is also important because it will allow the injured passenger to seek compensation for medical treatments, lost wages and, possibly, pain and suffering from the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
As Virginia personal injury attorneys who have helped hundreds of traffic accident victims recover monetary awards from at-fault drivers who have tried to avoid liability and responsibility, we know that all drivers who hurt others can and should be held accountable and through the civil justice system.
EJL