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Murrieta Hit and Run Accident Attorneys

You have probably gotten stuck in traffic jams where a car accident is blocking one or more lanes of traffic. Both drivers stay at the scene and give statements to the police, and first responders attend to injured people. It is stressful to tell a police officer your side of the story while the driver who hit you scowls from their car and a never-ending stream of traffic inches by, but it is better than the alternative, which is when someone hits your car and does not even stop exchange insurance information with you or to make sure that you are all right. Contact the car accident lawyers at Gibbs & Fuerst in Murrieta, California if you have been injured in a hit and run car accident.

If Someone Hits Your Car and Leaves the Scene

California law requires drivers to stay at the scene of an accident long enough to make sure that any injured people receive medical attention and to exchange insurance information. Leaving the scene of an accident is a crime, and the criminal penalties vary depending on the amount of damage caused by the accident; the penalties are more severe for hit and run fatality accidents than for injury accidents or property damage only accidents, for example.

Why would someone leave the scene of a car accident if doing so could result in criminal charges for which the penalty is imprisonment? Usually, it is because the hit and run driver is trying to avoid getting caught doing something else that is subject to criminal penalties, such as drunk driving, drug possession with intent to deliver, or driving without a license. The good news is that, even if police never find the driver who hit you, you are obviously not at fault for the accident, and this fact can help you get an adequate settlement from the insurance company. Insurance companies are not known for their generosity, though, and a car accident lawyer can help you negotiate for a better settlement.

If Someone Hits Your Bike and Leaves the Scene

If a car strikes a bicycle, the chances are high that the bicyclist will be injured seriously enough to incur expensive medical bills. The higher your medical bills, the more difficult it is to get the insurance company to cover them in full, even if you bore no fault for the accident. Sometimes the only way to get the money you need is to file a lawsuit, or to take steps toward filing one.

Hit and Run Pedestrian Accidents in Murrieta

Reckless behavior by drivers is the main cause of pedestrian accidents, but road conditions can also increase the risk that drivers will hit pedestrians. Lack of crosswalks and poorly lit roads put pedestrians at risk, whether the drivers who hit them remain at the scene or flee in a panic. Your lawyer might be able to help you collect damages not only from the driver who caused the accident but also from the city or county responsible for the area where the accident happened.

Contact the car accident lawyers at Gibbs & Fuerst in Murrieta, California to find out more.