Denver Hit and Run Accidents Attorneys can help you if you were injured in a car accident and the other driver leaves the scene. When this happens it is often because of a serious crash and injuries are a regular occurrence. Denver Hit and Run Accidents Attorneys can help you figure out your legal options.
Most motorists in Colorado carry no-fault insurance and this can help with the financial burden a HIt and run accident can cause, however, the financial burden may be significant when you consider all the various medical care that may be necessary as well as the loss of wages and damage to your vehicle. Denver Law is experienced, ready, and able to represent you and make sure that victims of hit and run accidents have the legal assistance they need.
The Importance of Hiring a Denver Hit and Run Accident Attorney
Without a good attorney, Denver hit and run accident Attorney, you will be facing an uphill battle. Remember the police are swamped with calls. They will do their best to identify the other driver however they have limited resources. Those resources will likely be focused on crimes that are more serious. If the hit and run involves a death or serious injury, they are much more likely to spend as much time as needed to find the driver who left the scene.
If someone hits your parked car and leaves the scene they may spend less time investigating especially if no one is injured. In all these cases, you will need an advocate such as the kind you find at Denver Law.
What to Do if You Are in a Hit and Run Accident
Colorado Accident Laws
Colorado law 42-4-1601 and Colorado law 42-4-1603 place certain requirements upon drivers who are involved in a hit and run accident whether they are at fault or not. A driver who fails to follow these rules can be facing serious criminal charges. The 3 things a driver must do:
- Stop the car. A driver must stop the car and cannot leave the scene. While this may seem obvious, some drivers may think that It wasn’t my fault and I don’t have the time to deal with this. That driver when leaving the scene is then presumed by police to be at fault.
- If someone is injured due to the accident, aid must be given. Again, it doesn’t matter if the person injured is at fault or not. A driver who is uninjured must assist if able to.
- The final requirement is paperwork. All drivers must provide personal information such as name and insurance information as well as showing the other driver their driver’s license.
Consequences for HIt and run Accidents
- If a hit and run accident only causes property damage it is a class 2 misdemeanor and the driver can get up to $1000 in fines and up to a year in jail. While this is the least serious charge in a hit and run, the penalties are still serious.
- If the hit and run accident injures someone the driver would be charged with a class 2 misdemeanor if the injuries are not serious. That would mean up to a $5000 fine and up to a year and a half in jail.
- If serious injuries occur, the driver could face up to a class 5 felony which would mean up to $500,000 in fines and up to 3 years in prison.
- The most serious result of a hit-and-run accident would be if the driver caused a death. This could mean the driver of the hit and run would face a class 3 felony, up to $750,000 in fines, and up to 12 years in prison.
What to Do if You Are the Victim of a Hit and Run Accident
When you are the victim of a hit and run accident it is important that you follow the law so as to protect your rights. So the first thing is to breathe. Staying calm is the best thing you can do to stay safe. Before anything else happens, try to quickly determine if anyone is in need of medical attention. If someone is, Immediately call emergency dispatch by dialing 911.
Emergency dispatch will likely ask about the health of you and your passengers first. Then they will ask if your vehicle is safe where it is stopped. If it is not they will ask if you can safely move your vehicle to the side of the road. Then, if they have not already done so, they will ask for your location and remind you to stay calm.
After speaking with the Emergency dispatch and after you and any passengers are in a safe place, You can get contact information from anyone who saw the accident and request they wait until the police arrive to give a statement. Now is also the time to collect your thoughts and remember everything you can about the other vehicle and write it down. This may assist police in finding the driver.
Many people including your insurance company will encourage you to have a crash report in your glove box for these instances. If you are safe and your passengers are safe you can fill out this form if you have printed a copy out. That crash report can be found here. Your next step, if no one is injured, is to call a top Denver hit and run accident attorney like Denver Law. Contacting them early can help you identify your next steps.
A Denver Hit and Run Accident Attorney May…
Ask you leading questions to help you remember important information about the drivers who left the scene of the accident. These questions may include:
- Any part of the license plate? Numbers or letters and the state of the plate may help find the driver.
- What was the condition of the car? Was it new or old? Good condition or falling apart?
- Were there any stickers on the car?
- Was there rust on the car?
A good attorney will fight to make sure that all avenues to find the perpetrator of a hit-and-run accident are pursued. Hiring a top Denver hit-and-run accident attorney is one of the most important steps in your hit-and-run case.
