Did you know the United States recently reached an all-time high for hit-and-run deaths? And even worse, California leads the nation in the rate of hit-and-run fatalities with about 60% more hit-and-runs than we had 10 years ago.
A hit-and-run crash occurs when two people collide in a motor vehicle accident, on bikes, on scooters, on motorcycles, on foot, or a combination of these, and one person fails to remain at the scene. Under California law, it’s illegal to flee the scene of an accident with injuries or significant property damage. A felony hit-and-run conviction can bring 4 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Unfortunately, people still commit hit-and-runs every day. Many of these accidents are severe and tragic, where a victim is left injured or dying in the street without emergency aid because the other person fled.
Fatal hit-and-runs are most common in situations that involve pedestrians and bicyclists because their bodies are so vulnerable to the forces of a crash. Nearly 65% of the people killed each year in hit-and-run accidents were either walking or riding a bike at the moment of impact.
But the person most likely to flee the scene of an accident is a motorist. Sometimes a driver hurts or kills someone and quickly drives or runs away from the accident, leaving victims and witnesses wondering what to do next.
On this page, the team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers is sharing some helpful information about hit-and-run accidents in the San Francisco Bay Area and what you can do if you ever find yourself in this situation. We’re here to help you recover and get the compensation you need after the trauma of a hit-and-run accident occurs.
At the Sally Morin Law Firm, we’ve seen it all when it comes to hit-and-run accidents. We’ve seen innocent bicyclists, pedestrians, and motorists run down by negligent drivers who just drove away like it was nothing. We help these injured victims get justice and compensation.
You don’t have to deal with a hit-and-run driver alone. The team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you recover from your hit-and-run accident and protect your future.
One of our clients was training for a charity bicycle event when she was hit by a distracted driver who fled the scene. She had severe injuries from landing on her elbows on the hard pavement. She ultimately received $250,000 for her accident.
In another bicyclist case, our client was making his daily 1-mile commute down Main Street on his beach cruiser when a pickup truck hauling a trailer ran over him and crushed his torso. The truck driver didn’t even notice! A witness had to tell him he’d hit the bicyclist, who won $65,000 after this horrible incident.
Another Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers client, a motorcyclist, received $100,000 after being struck by an impatient driver while trying to pull into his own driveway. The hit-and-run driver clipped him while passing too close, caused a violent crash, then just drove away.
After hit-and-run crashes like these, the team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers boldly represents injured victims and pursues insurance providers to get full, fast, and fair compensation. We’re a strong team of vehicle accident experts with more than 30 years of combined experience handling auto accident injury claims.
For most of us, hit-and-run accidents are hard to comprehend. How could anyone hit another human being and leave them flailing in the road with severe injuries? It’s horrifying.
Researchers say there are common psychological events that cause people to leave the scene of a car accident. While these aren’t excuses for hit-and-runs, they do help us understand why people flee.
Here’s something very important you should know about all of the explanations listed above. None of these excuses automatically make it legal for someone to hit you and leave the scene of an accident!
No matter what type of explanation the hit-and-run driver gives, you can talk to a personal injury lawyer about pursuing a claim for compensation. Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers can help you track down a hit-and-run driver, compile the evidence you need, and put the responsibility where it belongs so you can heal and recover.
Hit-and-run accidents come in many forms here in San Francisco. Here are some of the scenarios we see where a driver hits someone then flees the scene of the accident to avoid responsibility.
After a driver does something like this and drives off, you’ll be lucky to be alive. Get emergency help as soon as you can, make sure law enforcement officers are involved, and contact Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers to start the legal process of holding the hit-and-run driver responsible for your injuries, medical bills, pain and suffering, and other damages.
Have you ever thought about what it’s like to be a passenger in a hit-and-run accident? Imagine that you’re an innocent passenger in an Uber accident where the Uber driver was drunk, hit someone, and drove away. Now you have injuries, plus you’re a witness to a DUI hit-and-run!
Another possibility is being the passenger in the car that was hit when the other driver leaves the scene of the crash. You’re injured, but who do you pursue for compensation? Your friend who was driving the car? The other driver if you can find them? One of their insurance companies?
A car accident attorney can help you sort through these tricky legal issues and will explain your legal options. Like any other injured victim, passengers have recourse for seeking compensation after accidents with injuries.
After a hit and run crash, call 911 to report any injuries and notify the police that there is a hit-and-run driver out on the road somewhere. Try to take a deep breath and assess how you feel, accepting medical help if the medical personnel think you need it. Turning down medical assistance could harm your case later.
Gather any evidence from the scene you are able to access. Take photos and videos. If there are witnesses to the hit-and-run, collect their contact information because their point of view could be extremely helpful later when you try to collect compensation for your injuries.
Stay in contact with the police to see if they are pursuing the case as a criminal hit-and-run investigation – but even if they aren’t, you still have options through a civil action. Save all paperwork related to the accident, including your medical records, a police report, and communications with insurance companies.
Next, you can take action by contacting a car accident attorney who has experience with hit-and-run accidents. The team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers understands the proper way to handle a hit-and-run claim and will help you take the best steps to protect your health, your finances, and your future.
You shouldn’t have to pay for your own costs after a hit-and-run accident that wasn’t your fault. Often, a hit-and-run driver can be tracked down and ordered to pay for your medical bills after an accident that injures you.
Their insurance coverage may cover the cost or you can win a judgment against them personally. Either way, you may be able to recover enough compensation to take care of your medical bills and other damages.
It will be important to establish the cost of your medical bills and put a dollar value on your claim. In addition to your physical injuries, you may need psychological counseling and other aftercare to help you recover from the trauma of a hit-and-run accident. Car crashes are the #1 cause of PTSD in the U.S. and a hit-and-run can be particularly traumatizing for victims.
After a hit-and-run crash, it can be quite difficult to hold someone responsible for your injuries, even if they are located and charged criminally with their failure to remain at the scene of the accident. The insurance company may give you the runaround and try to avoid paying your medical bills.
The hit-and-run driver themselves may be under the scrutiny of the police and your injuries are probably the last thing on their mind. As you can see, you’ll need an attorney to help stand up for your rights and secure the financial compensation required to recover from the accident.
At Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, we focus on clients who are seriously injured by others in accidents, including hit-and-run crashes. Our expertise is securing high-dollar compensation for people whose lives have been totally shaken up by the negligence of others.
We can help with many types of hit-and-run accidents, including:
If you have severe injuries from a California hit-and-run accident, including broken bones, a traumatic brain injury, or bodily damage that requires surgical intervention including plastic surgery, contact Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. We are one of the best-known names in San Francisco for these types of serious crashes.
If you’re able to track down the insurance company for the hit-and-run driver, the representative may try to pressure you into taking a quick payout to settle your claim. Watch out! This is a classic trick that is designed to get you to sign away your rights for a small sum.
Don’t sign anything until you talk to someone at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. The costs involved with a hit-and-run accident can be extremely high and a lowball offer could be a terrible deal for you.
An insurance adjuster’s #1 priority is getting you to accept a low offer and sign on the dotted line. Once you do that, you’ve probably missed your opportunity to sue, and they know it!
It wasn’t your fault that someone hurt you and fled the scene. Under California law, you can sue to recover the full cost of your medical bills, plus the cost of your vehicle, the value of your missed workdays, and compensation for your pain and suffering.
Of course, an insurance company always wants to pay as little as possible. Your attorney from Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers is focused on getting you more money, more resources to repair your car, and more compensation that helps you move forward successfully from your accident.
After a hit-and-run accident, every moment counts. There could be valuable camera footage that might disappear at any time. Witnesses will have memories that fade. Act fast to gather this evidence before it’s lost forever. Remember there is a statute of limitations.
Remember, even if the police and prosecutor decide not to pursue charges against the hit-and-run driver, you can hold them responsible through the civil system. A hit-and-run driving accident claim puts money in your pocket when you need it most after an accident.
“It will get better with time” doesn’t really apply to car injury claims. Witnesses disappear, memories get foggy, physical evidence is lost or modified, records become more difficult to acquire and over time there are several things you might to do reduce the strength and value of your car accident case.
While you take your time and put off the decision to hire an auto accident attorney, the other driver’s insurance company will not put off their job of belittling your case. Their initial approach may be friendly and helpful, but it can quickly turn to devious and detrimental to the value of your car accident claim. The more time you spend trying to deal directly with the insurance carrier as your own attorney, the more you can damage your chances of getting a fair settlement.
When you hire the San Francisco car accident attorney team at Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers the first thing we do is put the insurance company on notice that you are represented by counsel. That immediately stops the insurance adjuster’s calls, letters, emails and tricks from being directed at you. Our team will now handle all of this. You can get back to more important (and hopefully less stressful) things.
Call the Sally Morin Law Team for a free consultation at 877-380-8852 today!
Why risk sabotaging your SF hit-and-run accident claim by trying to handle it alone?
Here are some things you MUST do in the meantime to avoid ruining your chances at a solid outcome.
We’re not like other car accident attorneys in San Francisco. You won’t see us advertising on the sides of MUNI buses, freeway billboards or local TV and radio. Our reputation, effectiveness and 5-start customer service has San Francisco car accident victims contacting us daily. We are fortunate enough to be able to be really selective with who we choose to represent! We carefully hand-select each of our clients. That way, we can form the super solid attorney-client relationships.
At Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers we are the best female hit and run accident lawyers in San Francisco. Specializing in hit and run cases, our all-female team fights aggressively for victims left injured and abandoned. With over 40 years of combined experience, we understand the trauma and challenges hit and run victims face. Sally Morin’s team is dedicated to tracking down drivers, compiling strong evidence, and pursuing full compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. Trusted, compassionate, and proven, we offer a free consultation and work on a no-fee-unless-we-win basis—your strongest ally after a hit and run crash.
Yes, we get results in hit-and-run cases! Here are just a few examples of situations where we found positive results for clients who received severe injuries in hit-and-run crashes.
We encourage you to read our real client stories that show how successful we have been with getting high-dollar results for injured people. At Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, we’re the real deal!
We live and work right here in San Francisco, just like you. Our reputation, effectiveness, and 5-star customer service has San Francisco car accident victims contacting us immediately after hit-and-run crashes. We carefully handpick our clients to focus on each person individually and provide the care and attention you deserve.
After a hit-and-run accident, it can be hard to know who you can trust. Your faith in humanity has been shaken because someone left you behind, injured and traumatized.
At Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand the struggles that injured people face. We’re here to help you find the right path forward with the right attorney. Find out more here about whether Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers is the right firm to handle your case.
Are you wondering how the process works? You can learn more about the hit-and-run accident claims process and see what it’s like to choose Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers. We are dedicated to making the process go smoothly for you.
Some of what you will get in this guide:
Sally Morin Personal Injury Lawyers is an all female team of customer-focused, five-star California personal injury attorneys who exclusively handle traffic accident settlement negotiation. They have California offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose, and Oakland.
