Anyone who has ever been on the wrong end of negligent or reckless driving understands what a terrible experience this can be for anyone. Many people forced into this position are also forced to fight to overcome serious injuries, and some families are forced to overcome the overwhelming grief related to a sudden death or deaths.
These difficult aftermaths are only made worse when those who are injured or grieving family members are forced to fight with the insurance company of the at-fault driver. These situations generally necessitate the involvement of Sacramento accident lawyers who understand what it takes to work on a situation until that insurance company does what is right.
Unfortunately, there are too many people who are badly injured in California car accidents and families of people who are killed who are not even able to identify the at-fault driver’s insurance company because they are unable to identify the at-fault driver. Hit-and-run accidents occur at an alarming rate in California, and people who suffer because of them are often unaware of what they need to do to make sure that they properly enforce their legal rights. Below are five troubling facts regarding these crashes.
- More than 19,000 people are injured annually in California hit-and-run accidents.
In a state with 35 million residents, this may not seem like a large number. However, that equates to more than 52 people per day and to more than two people every hour being injured somewhere in California. - Nearly 7,000 people are injured in California hit-and-run accidents because of rear-end collisions.
Once again, 7,000 may seem like a small number, but more than 19 people are injured every day when they are rear-ended by another driver and that driver proceeds to flee the scene of the crash. That’s nearly one person every hour. - Nearly 150 people are killed in California hit-and-run accidents every year.
Nearly three people are killed every week in hit-and-run crashes in the state. Fleeing the scene of a fatal car accident is a serious crime. Being convicted of such a charge can lead to a lengthy prison term if a suspect is convicted. - More than 80 of these fatalities result from pedestrian hit-and-run accidents.
This is truly a surprising statistic, as most people do not visualize pedestrians being injured in this type of crash. However, more than half of all of the people killed in California hit-and-run crashes were traveling on two feet when they lost their lives in a given year. - Too many people injured in hit-and-run crashes do not enforce their legal rights.
People who are injured in California hit-and-run crashes and family members of those who are killed often believe that there is really nothing that they can do if the driver involved in the crash is not found quickly. As such, many claims will not be pursued and victims will be forced to deal with their losses alone. If you or someone you love has been injured in a hit-and-run accident, contact the Demas Law Group, P.C., immediately to schedule a free initial consultation.
