Wednesday, February 3, 2016

The Importance of Civil Compromise in Hit and Run Cases

According to the official statistical data, the number of hit and run accidents on roads all over the nation has drastically increased after the year 2000. The number of offenses continues to rise – people’s property is damaged, their friends or loved ones are injured or even killed in those accidents. Law enforcement authorities are very strict when it comes to hit and run, so it is very important, crucial even, to have a qualified as well as genuinely experienced legal representative by your side. Only will a good lawyer have skills and expertise to prepare a civil compromise and prevent the case from going to court.

There are many factors that drive people to abandon the scene of the accident. The first and probably the most common is the emotional condition of a person. After all, people are shocked and deeply affected by their actions and they act in line with their most basic instincts – the instincts, which tell them to run. Furthermore, there are people, who had no driver’s license, had their license suspended or revoked, people with prior convictions or people, who failed to pay their insurance. Some individuals even think that it is smart to leave the scene of the accident and to report the car was stolen. Well, law enforcement officers are not dumb and know how to do their job, so that trick almost never works – it will only add to the final sentence.

According to legal regulations, any driver, who damaged someone else’s property or perhaps injured a person, is obliged to stop and check if everything is fine. The driver must get in touch with law enforcement officers as well as with the owner of the property.

Being charged with a hit and run may result in some dire legal penalties. We are talking about expensive fines, community service, driver’s license revocation or suspension and even possible county jail or state prison time. Therefore, if you or your loved ones currently risk being charged with a hit and run offense, it is imperative to find a good attorney, who will be capable of convincing the other party to settle the matter outside of the judicial system. It is crucial not to let the case to go to court – it is better to manage it via restitution and a civil compromise that will satisfy both parties. Only a genuinely experienced legal defense attorney will have what it takes to deal with a situation like this one within the very least amount of time possible. Otherwise, you risk being charged with hit and run and will get a sentence that will also stick to your criminal records. Having such a sentence in your records is also devastating for your career opportunities, your studies and your family life, so think twice and let the lawyer settle a proper civil compromise with victims.

Civil compromise is the most desirable outcome for hit and run offenders – the case is not going to go to court and you will be able to rest assured, knowing that you will not be charged with the offense and will not have to suffer dire legal consequences.

Discover more information about hit and run criminal defense here.