In 2018, research was conducted by State Police showing that the number of West Virginia hit-and-run accidents has increased over the past two years. This might come as a surprise, but more and more people are fleeing the scene of West Virginia accidents after they are involved in them. These accidents happen for many reasons, including drivers who do not want to face the reality of a drunk driving accident or another type of law that they disobeyed on the roads.
Hit-and-run accidents are a crime, which means that drivers could be facing many charges and serious penalties when they choose to flee the scene of an accident rather than stay and face the reality of the situation. As the victim of one of these accidents, you might wonder how you will be able to move forward and receive the compensation you deserve if you are left to recover on your own because a driver has not been located. Let’s say that you were struck by a motor vehicle in an area where nobody else was outside to witness it. You get back on your feet with injuries, only to find that the driver is gone – and you didn’t even gather information on what their vehicle looked like or what the driver looked like. At this point, you might be lost and confused as to what steps to take next.
After You Have Been Injured
If you have been involved in a hit-and-run accident, there are some choices you can make that may help ensure that the driver who caused your accident will be caught, even if you saw very little all on your own.
Of course, aside from receiving proper medical attention for your injuries, one of the most important things that you can do after a hit-and-run accident is to speak with police, who are well-versed in the laws of the road and will be able to work laboriously to ensure that the driver who caused your accident is caught. Police will use a variety of different skills to collect evidence at the scene and warn others about the possibility of a hit-and-run driver so that many eyes are on the roads. There is a good chance that a negligent driver will be caught when a skilled police force is helping.
Witnesses at the scene of your accident can also be helpful entities. There is always a chance that a witness could hold the key to helping police locate the responsible driver for one of these accidents, such as a license plate number. Witnesses have played crucial parts in many accidents and you might be surprised by how many details they are able to remember from the scene that you might not be able to on your own – like the color, make, and model of a vehicle, or a perfect description of the driver.
Avoiding Legal Complications with the Help of an Attorney
Being involved in a West Virginia hit-and-run accident might be one of the most troublesome and devastating things that you have ever faced. We always expect the best from others but, when somebody flees the scene in a hit-and-run accident, you might feel shocked and confused. At Katz, Kantor, Stonestreet & Buckner, our experienced personal injury attorneys have handled cases similar to these in the past and will get to work immediately to help you in the midst of your accident. Please reach out to us for more information at (304) 713-2014.