San Mateo, California’s transportation system is a primary arterial system for the Silicon Valley region. The corridors of El Camino Real, Arthur Younger Freeway and the Bayshore Freeway are charged with an enormous daily flow of commuters from the entire region, as well as locals, cyclists and pedestrians, making a high-stakes area by necessity. A hit and run accident is a collision that occurs when one party is not identified. When a vehicle driver is leaving the scene of the accident on the Peninsula, he or she is guilty of a serious offense of the vehicle code and risks leaving the victims to deal with potentially life-threatening physical injuries and property damage. The dual strategy in a Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer in San Mateo involves both working with the local law enforcement to secure a conviction and, at the same time, developing a civil case to pursue restitution. Having a specialized San Mateo hit and run attorney can be crucial for those who find themselves in this stressful situation to safeguard their legal rights, deal with intricate insurance arrangements, and strive for a just settlement.
Legal and Criminal Realities of Fleeing an Accident in California
California has specific duties for every driver in a motor vehicle accident that causes property damage or injury to the driver or a third party. California Vehicle requires a driver to stop the vehicle and find the owner of the property or property owner or leave “clear” contact information if a collision occurs with property or an unattended vehicle. In California, government police regulations require that drivers involved in an accident must stop their vehicles, assist in rendering reasonable medical aid to the injured party, and exchange identifying paperwork.
When someone is injured as a result of being involved in an accident in the street, the safety of the people involved is put at risk and a civil traffic accident becomes a serious criminal incident. Depending on how seriously the victim was injured, a hit and run may be charged as a felony and can be punished with significant amounts of state prison time and financial fines.
The Dual Strategy for Financial Recovery
The main problem in a hit and run case is finding out who could have caused the incident. A dedicated personal injury firm takes up this challenge by putting a dual track approach forward, which is executed to run all avenues of possible avenues to seek compensation at the earliest.
The first one is an independent forensic investigation and identification of the perpetrator. The CHP and/or the San Mateo Police Department will open an official criminal investigation, but often public law enforcement resources are divided up between a number of high priority cases. A local personal injury attorney launches a parallel civil investigation to search for the roadrunner as a way to prevent the loss of important evidence.
This independent investigation is a forceful attack on local data sources such as commercial and residential surveillance. Walking the perimeter of the crash site at high traffic locations like El Camino Real can ensure high quality video from store cameras, ring cameras and municipal traffic surveillance cameras. Also, attorneys attempt to locate and interview rideshare drivers or private citizens who were in the area at the time of the accident who may have seen the license plate of a fleeing car.
Pursuing Compensation When the Driver Remains Unidentified
Victims have some recourse if they were unable to identify the fleeing motorist through law enforcement and/or private investigators. One way to recover finances from the victim’s own auto insurance policy is through the Uninsured Motorist Bodily Injury coverage.
California insurance laws essentially make Uninsured Motorist coverage the equivalent of the insurance coverage of the at-fault driver. It is intended to cover specific policy limits for the policyholder’s medical expenses, lost wages and non economic pain and suffering.
But, filing an uninsured motorist claim isn’t always an easy paper push. When a person has insurance on their vehicle, they may think that the insurance company they have is going to be fair when it comes to a hit and run incident. The truth is, insurance adjusters seek to save their company’s money.
Decisive Steps to Protect Your Rights After an Accident
If you’ve been in a hit and run accident on the Peninsula and you can do it physically, then there are certain steps you can take that can enhance the chances of a successful civil claim in the future:
Contact Emergency Services Immediately: Get immediate medical treatment and make sure an official police report is filed at the scene of the accident.
Record Key Details Extensively: Record as much as you can about the vehicle that you saw being driven away including the make, model, colour, some of the license plate numbers and any other distinguishing characteristics of the vehicle driver.
Take Multiple Photos of the Scenes: Take pictures of the car damage, the roadway configuration, skid marks and injuries to the person before the weather or traffic changes.
Conclusion
California has a very short statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits in just 2 years. Time is one of the most important aspects of a hit and run. Physical road evidence is short-lived and digital surveillance video requires days of auto overwriting. Timely legal action will ensure that critical evidence is not destroyed, insurance coverage is properly assessed and the families’ financial security is vigorously protected, click here to know more info in order to secure your rights and to have an idea of what to expect in your recovery process.
