No matter how minor an accident may be, you should never leave the accident site before the law enforcement officers arrive. Regardless of whether it was your fault, you must remain at the site and complete the formalities. Leaving an accident site without informing the police can result in fines and possibly jail time.
Fleeing the scene can also prevent you from getting the monetary compensation you were entitled to. Provo Personal Injury Lawyers can explain the consequences of leaving the accident site. If you were injured in an accident by another party, speak to an attorney today about recovering your compensation.
You could be held liable for a hit-and-run accident.
When an accident happens in Provo, and you leave the accident site without exchanging information with the other party and calling the police, you could be held liable for a hit-and-run case. You should stop the car unless you are driving directly to the police station.
Remember that it is not established that you are not responsible for the accident, so even if you believe you are innocent, you could still be in trouble. Nowadays, everyone has a phone with a camera, and it is easy to film someone fleeing the scene. The other party could record you and imply that you were responsible for the accident.
Even if it is later found that you were innocent in the accident case, fleeing the case could diminish the chances of recovering any compensation.
Is it important to call the police after a car accident?
Yes. In fact, you are required by the law to report all accidents to law enforcement, no matter how minor they may be. You must move your car out of the traffic zone and wait for the police to arrive. The police:
- Checks the involved parties for injuries.
- Conduct an investigation.
- Call emergency medical help.
- Issue tickets and violations to the at-fault driver.
The police at the crash scene will create a crash report which will prove valuable during the car accident insurance claim and if the case goes to court.
Were you injured by a hit-and-run driver?
If you were injured by another party who fled the scene as soon as the accident occurred, you might be worried about your next step. Make sure you collect as much information as possible and report the case to the police. The quicker you make the report, the earlier they will start searching for the fled driver.
Hire an attorney today to build your case and recover deserved compensation.
