Drivers Flee the Scene After Fatal Crashes | DENENA | POINTS

Drivers Flee the Scene After Fatal Crashes

Fatal crashes are devastating for the victim’s family, especially if the driver flees the scene and leaves helpless passengers behind. While few would ever think that someone could do this—it does happen.

Fatal Hit-and-Runs Sadly Frequent

In New Caney, Texas, a driver recently slammed into a parked semi-truck and then fled the scene in another vehicle, leaving his critically injured passenger to die alone. If he had stayed and called the police, that passenger might still be alive.

Last April, a vehicle crashed in Miami-Dade County while driving at high speeds. The driver lost control and crashed into a fence and utility pole. The driver was able to get out of the vehicle and fled the accident scene, but the thirty-five-year-old passenger died of injuries suffered in the crash.

In February, a driver in Los Angeles lost control and ran into a light pole. The driver was intoxicated at the time and left the scene—supposedly to get help—but his passenger died.

Hit-and-Run Drivers at Fault

In all three of these cases, the driver exhibited reckless or careless behavior that resulted in an accident. In each case, the passenger was killed or critically wounded while the driver was free to get up and leave the scene.

All three individuals were subsequently arrested by the police. These are just a few examples of fatal crashes that happen on a regular basis due to the negligence of the driver. The unique aspect of cases where the driver flees the scene is the likelihood of criminal charges in addition to potential civil penalties.

Criminal vs. Civil Court

As a car wreck victim, it is important to note that just because the driver faces criminal charges, it does not necessarily mean that the outcome of the trial will benefit you in any way. The prosecutor will be seeking imprisonment and financial penalties. However, those penalties will not be paid to your family, and they are typically minor in comparison to what you’ve actually lost.

This makes it necessary for you to work with a skilled personal injury attorney to file a lawsuit against the negligent driver in civil court. Doing so enables you to seek financial damages to pay for things like medical bills and lost wages.

Wrongful Death Lawsuits and Fatal Crashes

If your loved one was killed in a fatal car accident, you may have the right to file a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of his or her estate. To do so, you typically need to be a close family member such as a spouse or a dependent child.

In a wrongful death case, you can recover compensation for the wages the victim would have made if he or she had continued to work until retirement. For example, if your spouse was killed at age forty, he or she would likely have worked for twenty-five more years until the age of sixty-five.

All of those lost wages equate to money that your family should have received, and it could be compensated to you through a wrongful death suit. You can also seek compensation for pain and suffering and the overall impact that the deceased’s death has had on your life.

Houston Wrongful Death Attorneys

Hit-and-run accidents and fatal car crashes are difficult events to go through, but you deserve to be compensated for the pain and financial losses your family has gone through.

Each case is different, so if your family has suffered because of a terrible or fatal accident, call 713-807-9500 to speak with an experienced attorney from Denena Points, PC. If you aren’t available to speak right now but would still like to schedule a free consultation, you can also reach us by using the contact form below.