Any vehicular accident can lead to a combination of emotions:  regret, frustration, bewilderment, or anger are just a few possibilities.  Perhaps no collision is more infuriating, though, than one in which the guilty party scurries away without accepting responsibility, let alone offering assistance. If you find yourself the victim of a hit-and-run accident, particularly one involving serious injuries or death, it may be a good idea to consider getting aggressive legal assistance.

Statistics Around Hit-and-Run Incidents

It may seem hard to believe, but research indicates that fatalities that occur as a result of hit-and-run collisions have been on the rise for some years now.  Here’s what we know:

  • A hit-and-run collision occurs every minute somewhere in the United States;
  • The number of hit-and-run accidents that occur nationwide exceeds 700,000;
  • Roughly 12 percent of all crashes involve a hit and run;
  • There are well over 100,000 injuries from this type of accident annually, totaling approximately six percent of all accident injuries;
  • In under a decade, the number of deaths has risen more than six-fold due to collisions involving at least one driver who leaves the scene of the accident;
  • Nearly seven in ten hit-and-run fatalities involve either pedestrians or bicyclists;
  • Between five and six percent of collision fatalities involve a hit-and-run driver;
  • Drivers are likely to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of a hit-and-run accident;
  • New York ranks 29th out of 50 states in the country for the number of hit-and-run deaths.

Who are Hit-and-Run Drivers?

The characteristics of hit-and-run drivers are understandably difficult to know, because so many of these drivers are never identified.  The information we do know gives us some picture of what the “typical” hit-and-run driver looks like. Here is the profile that most often fits the crime.  Drivers tend to be:

  • Male;
  • With at least one previous DWI;
  • Someone with a suspended license;
  • Driving an older-model vehicle;
  • With a positive BAC when ultimately arrested.

Why Flee the Scene of an accident?

The motivation to leave the scene can be different for every driver.  Some might have criminal records or be inebriated fear incarceration. Others think they can get away with it, and have no compunction to stick around.  Some sociologists posit that an underlying lack of moral conscience or other personality characteristics are the roots of the problem.

Locating the Offender

A number of factors impact the ability of law enforcement to identify and locate a driver who has absconded the scene.  Accidents that occur during daylight increase the likelihood of identification. Another statistically relevant factor is the location of the incident: those that occur outside crosswalks are roughly twice as liable to be identified, and drivers in crashes involving women and children are more likely to be identified.

Recourse for Hit-and-Run Victims on Long Island

If you or a loved one has been the victim of a hit-and-run accident, you deserve the no-nonsense and thorough team at The Falkowitz Law Firm PLLC on your side.  Call 844-GET-GARY to get Gary on the case today.  We will investigate and represent you in order to achieve the best possible outcomes.