Hit and Runs Happen Too Frequently
If you are involved in a car accident – regardless of who is at fault – you would not even consider leaving the accident site. After all, someone could have been injured in the process. While every motorist who has been involved in an accident that is serious enough to cause injury or property damage to a vehicle is required to stop, some drivers simply keep going, and it makes recovering from your losses that much more difficult.
Hit-and-Run Accidents are on the Rise
According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (as shared by AAA NewsRoom), the statistics related to hit-and-run accidents are quite dire, including the following:
On U.S. roads, there is at least one hit-and-run crash every minute.
In 2016 alone, there were 2,049 fatalities related to hit-and-run accidents (this is the highest number on record, and it represents a 60 percent increase over 2009).
Since 2006, there have been about 682,000 hit-and-run accidents each year.
Since 2009, hit-and-run fatalities have increased by about 7.2 percent per year.
These statistics bear witness to the fact that hit-and-run accidents are trending in the wrong direction.
The Responsibility of Drivers
Every time a motorist gets behind the wheel, they are responsible for driving safely, which includes pulling over after being involved in an accident. If you are involved in a car accident, help ensure that everyone remains as safe as possible by engaging in the following steps:
Pull off the road as safely as possible. Put your flashers on and leave your vehicle. If you have any means of alerting oncoming traffic to the upcoming accident scene – such as flares or warning triangles – use them.
Call 9-1-1. There is no reason also to call the police; your 9-1-1 operator will take care of that for you.
Assess whether anyone at the scene is seriously injured and, if so, provide aid to the best of your ability until emergency assistance arrives.
Exchange your insurance and contact information with the other driver involved.
Answer any questions put to you by the police as truthfully and succinctly as possible. Otherwise, refrain from speaking about the accident (this is the best practice for safeguarding your claim).
Motorists who fail to do what is right – and required – after causing an accident make it more difficult for those they injure to recover on their full range of physical, financial, and emotional damages. An experienced personal injury attorney, however, can help.
Reach Out to an Experienced Killeen Personal Injury Attorney Today
If a motorist causes you to be injured and then flees the accident scene, Brett Pritchard at The Law Office of Brett H. Pritchard in Killeen, Texas, is an experienced personal injury attorney who is committed to skillfully defending your rights and to aggressively advocating for your rightful compensation. Your case matters, so please do not hesitate to contact us online or call us at 254-501-4040 for more information today.