A hit and run in Sacramento on New Year’s Day has left a man fatally injured in Sacramento. According to a FOX40 news report, the accident happened on Rio Linda Boulevard close to Alamos Avenue at around 12:30 a.m. Officials who arrived at the site declared the man dead. Based on evidence at the street intersection, the victim is said to have been in the roadway when he was struck by a vehicle.
The driver of the vehicle did not stop and fled the scene. Investigators say that a white-colored pickup or SUV may be involved and that it may be missing a headlight as well as have front-end damage. Police are asking for the public’s help to identify the vehicle and driver.
If you have any information or if you witnessed this accident, please call the Sacramento Police Department at (916) 808-6030. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the pedestrian’s family and friends for their terrible loss.
Sacramento Hit and Run – Consequences
In this tragic pedestrian accident, the at-fault driver has not yet been located. In such cases it is the hit-and-run victim’s family that is left facing all the expenses including medical and funeral costs. A hit-and-run accident has both financial and emotional impact as victims and/or their families are left to deal with unforeseen expenses such as medical bills, loss of income and funeral preparations.
California Vehicle Code 20001 (a) states: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.” In addition, motorists must exchange pertinent information with other parties involved and obtain help for the injured parties.
How You Can Seek Compensation
It is not necessary for the hit-and-run driver to be identified and apprehended for you to be able to seek compensation for your losses. No matter who was at fault, your auto insurance policy including uninsured motorist and/or underinsured motorist coverage may be used to pay for damages including medical bills.
The uninsured motorist clause of the policy should also cover members of the policy owner’s household or other persons whose names are included on the policy. An experienced Sacramento personal injury lawyer can help you better understand this as well as negotiate or litigate with your insurance company for damages such as medical expenses, hospitalization, permanent injuries, disability, lost wages and benefits, past and future pain and suffering, etc.
Further, when police locate and apprehend the hit-and-run driver, victims can seek compensation for their losses by filing a lawsuit against that individual. In such cases, the vehicle owner may be held responsible even if the owner was not in the vehicle. Also, if the driver was on the job and/or driving a company vehicle at the time, his or her employer can be held liable. Immediate family members or survivors such as a spouse, children, parents, siblings, etc. of a deceased victim may file a wrongful death lawsuit against the at-fault parties for damages including, but not limited to, lost future income, medical expenses, funeral costs, pain and suffering, etc. Please call the Demas Law Group P.C., at (916) 444-0100 to obtain more information about pursuing your rights.
