Huntsville Hit And Run Accident Attorney
Hit And Run Accident Lawyer In Alabama
The legal term for “hit and run” is leaving the scene of an accident.
Any car accident will ruin your day but especially hit-and-run accidents. Hit-and-run accidents are common in Alabama. If you are in a hit-and-run accident then there’s a good chance the driver who hit you has pending warrants, is driving without a driver’s license/insurance, or is under the influence of alcohol or drugs. It is common for drunk drivers to flee after a DUI accident.
Alabama Criminal Law and Hit and Run Accidents
In Alabama, it is illegal to leave the scene of an accident before providing your name, address, and vehicle registration. Alabama Code § 32-10-2. After an accident, each driver should exchange automobile insurance information and wait for a police officer to arrive and fill out an accident report.
Leaving the scene of an accident with injuries is a felony in Alabama. Alabama Code § 32-10-6. If there are no injuries, then leaving the scene of an accident is a misdemeanor offense.
Penalties for Hit and Run in Alabama
In Alabama, there are different penalties for hit-and-run crimes, depending on the nature of the car accident:
- Penalty for injury or death: Class C felony. The penalty is imprisonment for no less than 1 year and 1 day and no more than 10 years. There is also a possible fine of up to $15,000.
- Penalty for damage to a vehicle: Class A misdemeanor. The penalty is imprisonment for up to 1 year. There is also a possible fine of up to $6,000.
Huntsville Accident Lawyers Who Answer Questions
Because we care, we have created informational guides to answer all your legal questions after an accident
Hiring a Lawyer After a Hit and Run
If you have been in a car accident and the other driver left the scene, you are likely thinking that you will not be able to recover from your injuries. However, that may not be true.
Our hit-and-run accident lawyers have experience with cases just like yours. If we are contacted quickly, we may be able to investigate the case and find the at-fault driver. Occasionally, our investigators are able to obtain surveillance footage of the crash or witnesses to the crash to help determine the identity and insurance information of the hit-and-run driver.
Even if we cannot locate the hit-and-run driver, you may be able to make a claim for uninsured motorist coverage. This is a no-fault claim that will not affect your premiums. In Alabama, if you are involved in a hit and run accident, then the law presumes that the at-fault driver was uninsured.
Hit and run accidents are time-sensitive matters. Call us today and speak to one of our car accident lawyers. You will be offered a short, free consultation for you to decide whether Garnett & Patterson Injury Lawyers are the right Huntsville Hit And Run Accidents for your case.
Your client experience is a priority to us. Our car accident attorneys offer free consultations in person, over the phone, and by Zoom or FaceTime. We can accommodate your schedule so that you also do not have to take time off work for the consultation.