Hit and Run Pedestrian Accidents | Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp

It is hard to imagine a driver has hit a pedestrian with their vehicle and then just flees the scene, leaving the victim laying on the ground, in immediate need of emergency medical treatment. Tragically, this scenario plays out every day in this country and according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, almost 20 percent of all fatal pedestrian accidents are hit and run events.

North Carolina pedestrian accident lawyer

If you or a loved one has been injured in a hit and run pedestrian accident, a personal injury attorney can assist you in obtaining financial compensation for those injuries.

 

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Finding the Driver

Although your immediate thought may be that the fleeing driver will never be caught, law enforcement statistics show that 90 percent of hit and run drivers are eventually caught. Investigations are critical in gathering evidence in these cases. In today’s world, there are so many video cameras – on homes, businesses, traffic signals – that many of these incidents are actually recorded. Other evidence at the scene, such as pieces of the vehicle that may be left on the ground or even on the victim’s clothing can help catch the hit and run driver. Witnesses to the accident can also be very helpful in providing information that can help identify the driver. Your attorney can help ensure that all these tools for catching the driver are being utilized.

If You Have Been Hit

If you have been hit by a fleeing driver, you want to make sure you contact police right away so they can catch the driver. You also want to seek medical treatment right away. Even if you do not think you have been seriously injured, there are many types of pedestrian accident injuries which may not show symptoms right away but are extremely dangerous, such as internal or brain injuries.

You also want to contact a car accident attorney. Once the hit and run driver has been identified, you will be able to file a claim against his or her insurance company for your injuries and your attorney can advocate for you through this process. When a driver flees the scene of an accident, they are breaking the law so there will likely be criminal charges filed against the driver. If the driver fights those charges by claiming his or her innocence, this may make your injury claim even more complex, which is why it is crucial to have a North Carolina accident attorney representing you.