New York City has seen such a shocking number of hit-and-run crashes this year that City Council members are considering new legislation to increase fines for offenders. According to an article in the New York Magazine, an investigation led by Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer revealed that there have been a total of 38,000 hit-and-run crashes in the city since the beginning of 2015. About 34,000 of them were minor accidents, but about 4,000 involved personal injury or death. Officials said this is a “staggering number” of injuries and deaths.
New Legislation
Leaving the scene of an accident is already a crime. But, the bill Van Bramer is about to sponsor is one that will increase fines for repeat hit-and-run offenders. According to the statistics on hit-and-run crashes reported by the New York Daily News, out of 38,000 hit-and-run incidents this year, only 480 drivers faced criminal charges and only 28 were arrested. In 48 crashes, catastrophic injuries were reported.
A number of these crashes also go completely uninvestigated. The bill comes after several recent incidents in the city including a Brooklyn hit-and-run crash involving an MTA bus striking and killing a 70-year-old woman in early November. In the same month, a man was seriously injured in a hit-and-run outside a McDonald’s in Queens.
Injuries and Compensation
Hit-and-run crashes often result in devastating or catastrophic injuries, which are basically injuries that result in permanent injuries and disabilities. Often, injured victims and their families are left facing severe financial burdens. For example, victims may have to bear medical and hospital expenses while being unable to work and as they recover. Such expenses are typically recovered from the responsible parties through insurance coverage. However, in a hit-and-run case where the driver has fled, the victims need an experienced personal injury attorney to recover money for them. Our law firm recovered $2,000,000 in a hit-and-run accident.
Under New York law, motorists must stop immediately after a collision and remain at the scene. Drivers are also required to exchange pertinent information with all parties involved and render aid to injured victims. When a driver leaves the scene of the crash without doing any or all of the above, it is known as a “hit-and-run.”
If you have been injured in a New York hit-and-run crash, you can seek compensation for your losses even if the driver has not been apprehended or even identified. You can still seek compensation through the uninsured motorist clause of your own auto insurance policy. New York is a “no-fault state,” which means you are entitled to compensation regardless of who was at fault. . Even if you have no auto insurance, there is a quasi-state agency that your lawyer can go after to pay you.
If you have uninsured motorist and/or supplemental uninsured motorist coverage in New York, you should be covered for your damages including medical bills. This type of insurance will also cover members of your household or others who may be included on your policy. Injured victims of hit-and-run crashes can seek compensation for injuries including, but not limited to, medical expenses, lost wages and benefits, hospitalization, rehabilitation, permanent injury, disability, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
What Can You Do?
If you have been the victim of a hit-and-run crash, there are a number of steps you can take to protect your rights. Call for help and ensure that you have medical attention right away, especially if you have been injured. Be sure to file a police report and obtain a copy for your records. Try to identify the other driver or at least get a description of the vehicle such as color, make model and/or license plate number, or identifying markings on the side of the vehicle.
Also, write a physical description of the driver. Get contact information from eyewitnesses. Make sure you get this information before witnesses leave the scene. Report the incident to your insurance company right way. Call an experienced lawyer who is well versed with hit-and-run cases. Your accident attorney can talk to your insurance company, negotiate or litigate and help you secure maximum compensation for all your losses. This is very tricky, so retain a personal injury lawyer right away.
Justice for Victims
If you or a loved one has been injured in a hit-and-run accident, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options. For over 44 years, our skilled accident attorneys have a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a man who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com
Sources: New York Magazine, New York Daily News
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