Wrongful Death Lawyer
Hit and run crashes are accidents in which one or more persons leave the scene of the accident 1) without calling law enforcement; 2) without offering aid & comfort to others; and/or 3) without the exchange of insurance and personal information. An experienced wrongful death lawyer, like a wrongful death lawyer in Indianapolis, Indiana, states:
“When a loved one succumbs to injuries received in a hit-and-run accident, a new normal, unpalatable and uninvited, is imposed upon the surviving next of kin. This new way of being may entail the loss of love and comfort, and financial hardship on surviving family members. Unanswered questions persist and closure is elusive. Could a life have been saved? Were there last words… perhaps final moments? Who was the person responsible? Are they remorseful?”
Professionals who have studied the psychology behind hit-and-run offenders believe one of two motives drives the negligent party to “flight”: 1) panic or 2) a lack of empathy, a personality disorder such as may be found in Empathy Deficit Disorder or Emotional Detachment Disorder (EDD).
According to the AAA Foundation for Travel Safety and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), percentages of hit-and-run accident fatalities are on the rise. The following are just a few of the most alarming statistics collected through 2016.
- Since NHTSA began acquiring statistics in the year 1975, the highest annual number of fatalities occurred in 2016 when 2,049 fatalities resulted from 1,980 hit-and-run crashes.
- Each year, the number of hit-and-run fatalities increases by approximately 7.2%.
- The majority of hit-and-run fatalities involve non-occupants of vehicles.
- In 2016, 71% of all hit-and-run crashes involved pedestrians or bicyclists.
- A total of 5.5 % of drivers involved in a fatal crash, fled the scene.
- In comparison with other developed nations, the United States has a much higher rate of drivers fleeing the scene of a fatal accident, i.e. Singapore has an average of 1.8% while many European countries hover around 3%.
- Even more troubling is the fact that in collision fatalities involving only pedestrians, 20.5% of drivers, i.e. approximately one out of every five drivers involved in a fatal impact with a pedestrian, fled from the scene of the accident.
If your spouse, parent or close relative was killed in a hit-and-run accident, you may be able to recover compensation for your family’s loss through your loved one’s estate. Damages may include, but are not limited to a loss of income, the loss of love and companionship, and the pain suffered by the deceased next-of-kin. Time is of the essence in a hit-and-run claim. Don’t delay. Call an experienced wrongful death lawyer.
Thanks to our friends and contributors from Ward & Ward Law Firm for their insight into hit and run accidents.