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Hit and Run

Hit and Run Attorney in Peabody, Massachusetts

A hit-and-run accident is one of the most deadly and debilitating motor vehicle collisions. Numerous hit and run occurrences include pedestrians and bicycles, particularly vulnerable to the devastation caused by a speeding motor vehicle.

As a result, hit and run victims frequently sustain significant injuries such as paralysis, traumatic brain injuries, amputations of limbs, or even death.

Along with the physical toll, being a victim of another driver’s recklessness may be stressful emotionally and financially. When the at-fault motorist departs the scene, the victim has no one to blame but himself. Who will foot the bill for medical care, vehicle repairs, and missed wages?

Whatever the circumstances surrounding your hit and run accident, it is critical for you as a hit and run victim to retain the services of an experienced and aggressive hit and run attorney in Massachusetts from The Law Offices of Barry Feinstein to ensure that you receive full and fair compensation for all of your injuries.

What is a Hit and Run Accident?

A hit and run accident occurs when a vehicle collides with another car, person, or object, and the driver flees the scene without leaving contact or insurance information.

These types of collisions range in severity from minor to severe. A small hit and run accident occurs when a motorist strikes a parked automobile in a parking lot, scratches the paint or produces a dent, and then drives away before anybody notices the damage or identifies the vehicle.

A more dangerous hit and run occurs when a car strikes a vulnerable pedestrian or bike on the street or at a crosswalk and speeds away to avoid being identified.

What Are the Common Causes of Hit and Run Accidents?

hit and run attorney

The following are the common causes of hit and run accidents:

  • Failure to stop at a traffic signal or red light.
  • Distracted driving or texting, hinders the motorist from paying attention to oncoming traffic.
  • Drunk drivers
  • Inexperienced or operating a vehicle that is not theirs, will occasionally panic and behave recklessly. 

The best approach to guarantee that you get reimbursed for your losses is to follow the suggestions below and to contact a hit and run attorney as soon as possible.

The Law in Massachusetts

The penalties for hit and run incidents vary according to the circumstances of the accident in Massachusetts. For instance, under Massachusetts law, a motorist who damages a car or other property and then flees the accident scene has committed a misdemeanor violation.

If the motorist is found guilty, they face a minor fine, up to two years in jail.

It is also a criminal violation for a driver to intentionally strike or injure another person and then flee the scene. The motorist risks a required minimum six-month jail term or a fine.

Leaving the scene of a fatal motor vehicle accident is a crime in Massachusetts. The motorist faces incarceration in state prison, jail, house of punishment, and penalties if convicted.

What to Do After a Hit and Run Accident?

If you were struck by another vehicle and the driver fled the scene, there are a few things you may do to protect yourself in the future. While some of these may seem self-evident, it can be challenging to think clearly in the moments following an accident. 

Keeping the following things in mind might significantly aid in your eventual recovery.

Take Photos

If the other motorist chooses to flee the collision scene, we highly advise you to attempt to photograph the driver and car rather than relying on your memories. Take pictures of the driver, the vehicle, and, most crucially, the license plate.

Call the Authorities

Victims of hit-and-run accidents should contact 911 immediately. Notify the dispatcher of your location and involvement in the accident. The dispatcher will communicate the other driver’s description and car to surrounding police units, which will canvas the area and attempt to catch the other motorist. 

Additionally, a unit will arrive on the site to examine the extent of the damage and compile an accident report, which might be crucial for your subsequent rehabilitation.

Seek Medical Attention

Your health should come first. Even if you feel you have not been hurt in the accident, you should immediately contact the local emergency facility. Specific symptoms produced by the impact of a vehicle collision, such as brain damage and whiplash, may be subtle at first but can deteriorate if left untreated. You can only boost your rehabilitation by keeping a detailed record of the health repercussions.

What Types of Injuries Do Hit and Run Accidents Cause?

As is the case with every motor vehicle accident, a hit and run can result in devastating injuries. The case’s circumstances affect the kind and degree of injuries sustained in the accident.

It is prudent to keep in mind that all traffic incidents have the potential to result in fatal casualties. Among the injuries incurred in a hit and run accident are the following:

  • Whiplash and neck injuries
  • Back and spinal cord injuries
  • Paralysis, amputations, and severe burns
  • Internal organ damage
  • Traumatic brain injuries
  • Fractures and broken bones
  • Wrongful death

Seeking medical attention promptly following a hit and run event can help minimize the chance of developing more severe injuries and problems. Prompt medical care also serves as documentation of your injuries in the event of a hit and run collision.

Why Do People Flee the Scene of a Car Accident?

Following an automobile collision, drivers are expected to pull over and give help. Individuals flee an accident site for a variety of reasons. Several frequent justifications for fleeing the scene of an automobile accident include the following:

  • The driver was intoxicated or driving under the influence of drugs
  • The person panicked after the collision
  • Lack of a driver’s license or driving under suspension 
  • The driver was in the country illegally
  • Law enforcement officers were searching for the driver for an outstanding subpoena or another criminal charge
  • The person was driving a stolen vehicle
  • The driver did not have the required car insurance 
  • The driver did not believe that anyone was injured or there was vehicle damage

Victims of hit and run accidents may suffer lasting impairments and life-long disabilities due to the hit and run motorist.

What Are the Penalties for Leaving the Scene in Massachusetts?

Leaving the Scene of an Accident Causing Property Damage

In Massachusetts, leaving the scene of an accident that results in property damage is a misdemeanor criminal violation that includes the possibility of jail time. Convictions may result in the following penalties:

  • Imprisonment for not less than two weeks and not more than two years
  • Imprisonment and fine
  • 60-day driver’s license suspension

Leaving the Scene of Accident Involving Personal Injury

  • Imprisonment for not less than two weeks and not more than two years
  • Imprisonment and fine
  • 60-day driver’s license suspension

Leaving the Scene of Accident Resulting in Death

Leaving the scene of a fatal accident is a crime in Massachusetts, punishable by between two and ten years in state prison or between one and two and a half and two and a half years in a house of punishment.

The accident’s type and circumstances heavily influence the penalty and whether the case is pursued in a district or superior court.

A conviction for this offense has a required minimum term of one year in jail or prison, which must be served before eligibility for parole, early release, or work release. Additionally, a minimum three-year license suspension is imposed.

Can You Sue and Be Compensated for Injuries in a Hit and Run Incident?

After most traffic collisions, if a negligent motorist has hurt you, you will at least know who that driver is. In this state, our experienced hit and run attorney will be able to assist you in pursuing the required legal action to sue for a hit and run accident.

What Will Uninsured Motorists (UM) Insurance Cover?

If you are a victim of a hit and run, your vehicle insurance is the first place to look. Indeed, because Massachusetts is a no-fault state for vehicle insurance, you must initially seek reimbursement via your policy, regardless of whether the driver was at fault.

If the police cannot apprehend the hit and run motorist who harmed you, or if the police apprehend the driver and discover that they are uninsured, you may claim your UM bodily injury and property damage policy.

What Will Personal Injury Protection (PIP) Insurance Cover?

PIP insurance covers you and your passengers for injuries sustained in a traffic collision, up to the coverage level, regardless of who was at fault.

Additionally, PIP insurance covers the following damages in a hit and run accident:

  • Reasonable medical expenditures are all medical expenses incurred due to the accident’s injuries, including surgeries, medical tests, hospital stays, and ambulance fees.
  • Earnings lost due to being wounded by a hit and run motorist. PIP coverage reimburses you for 75% of your typical weekly gross earnings.
  • Essential services that you will be unable to conduct if wounded. PIP may cover childcare bills and even maid charges if you can prove and explain them.

And even if a hit and run motorist is apprehended, you cannot pursue a personal injury claim in Massachusetts unless your medical bills resulting from the collision exceed $2,000.

How Our Skilled Hit and Run Accident Attorney Could Help?

Our experienced hit and run accident attorney can assist with hit and run accident claims by alerting all insurance providers to ascertain and confirm that policies were in existence at the time of the hit and run accident and determining the available coverage levels.

Throughout Massachusetts, insurance firms are required by legislation to give written disclosure and confirmation of available insurance coverage upon receipt of a written request.

Our hit and run attorney may assist in determining what applicable coverage exists to pay the victim of the hit and run accident.

Following that, our hit and run attorney might find potential witnesses to the accident, ascertain how the accident occurred, and explain the accident’s severity. A witness may have images of the accident or the car immediately following the collision on their smartphone, demonstrating the vehicles’ positions.

Our competent hit and run attorney might attempt to piece together how the collision occurred using this information. It would illustrate the extent of the vehicle’s damage due to the hit and run accident.

Our experienced hit and run attorney at The Law Offices of Barry Feinstein may be able to assist you in avoiding unpaid medical bills going to collectors and perhaps affecting the injured party’s credit.

Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Skilled Hit and Run Attorney Today

Do not allow a hit and run driver to turn your life inside out. The Law Offices of Barry Feinstein’s Massachusetts hit and run attorney will review your case and offer an honest appraisal of your legal alternatives for pursuing reimbursement for damages.

Contact our law office immediately to arrange for a no-cost consultation with a knowledgeable hit and run attorney. We assist you when you require reliable legal advice and representation.

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