A hit-and-run collision in central Virginia on the night of April 3, 2015, left a pedestrian seriously injured. The crash occurred in the town of Elkton, VA, on Route 340 near the intersection with Red Bush Road. The victim required hospitalization for the setting and treatment of numerous broken bones but is expected to survive, according to reports by the television station WHSV 3.
Police succeeded in identifying and apprehending the at-fault driver the next day. That woman now faces charges of fleeing the scene of an accident. Investigators did not release information on why she lost control of her car, ran off the road and sped off after hitting the victim, but they did note that neither drug use nor impairment by alcohol appear to have played a role in causing the crash.
My Virginia personal injury law firm colleagues and I wish the injured man a full and quick recovery. We also applaud the police for tracking down the driver who sent him to the hospital and subjected him to months of doctor appointments, therapy sessions and possible surgeries. Knowing who harmed him allows the victim to file insurance claims and seek other forms of monetary compensation for physical and emotional suffering, lost wages and temporary or permanent disability.
Had the at-fault driver remained unidentified, the injured pedestrian may have been able to avoid some of the worst financial consequences from the accident by accessing uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage through his own car insurance policy. Navigating that process often proves difficult, however, and being made to essentially bear the expense of recovering from injuries inflicted by someone else represents nothing like justice.
EJL