Los Angeles Injury Lawyer Blog

A hit and run car accident is a crime which occurs when someone strikes another person, their personal property (including their car), or a fixed structure, and then flees the scene, neither stopping nor identifying themselves to take responsibility for the damage inflicted. In the U.S. there are approximately 700,000 hit and run accidents yearly. As of 2003, California has had a dramatic increase in the number hit and run crashes reported. It is the state with the most fatal hit and run accidents annually. If you or a loved one has been involved in a hit and run in California, please contact an experienced attorney to help you seek justice during this painful and difficult time. You can get a free consultation in California by calling 1-800-ALAWPRO.

Hit and Run Accident Statistics: California
Hit and run is a disturbing and deadly trend. Around 300 people are killed in hit-and- run’s each year in California. These fatalities represent 8% of all state-wide traffic deaths. California’s record of hit and run deaths is nearly twice as high as that of other states. Two-thirds of people killed in hit and run accidents are pedestrians.

Hit and Run Accidents in California: Why?
Hit and run causes severe pain and emotional trauma to the surviving victims and their friend and families, often leaving them with the unanswered question of “why?,” when the fleeing drivers are not apprehended. Experts, including police officers and safety professionals, have presented possible explanations for California’s exceedingly high hit and run numbers, though even they are shocked the frequency in which hit and run drivers are fleeing the scenes of their crimes. Some proposed reasons include:

• Fear of being caught and facing the consequences, especially for drivers who are under the influence and for those who lack insurance


• Abundance of busy and spacious highways, streets and intersections


• High speed driving, four-lane roads result in faster driving and therefore, greater danger


• California’s “car culture,” including dependence on traveling by car, fast driving, and general love of automobiles


• High number unlicensed drivers in California, estimated at 1million drivers, many of whom are illegal immigrants


• Driver’s with the feeling of having “nothing to lose”

Authorities are hopeful that new roads, laws, and education about pedestrian traffic and the danger of hit and run will eventually reduce California’s staggeringly high rate of hit-and-run fatalities.

Have you or a loved one been the victim of a California hit and run? If so, you should contact a lawyer immediately to learn about your rights and seek the justice and compensation you deserve. Please call the law team of Greenberg & Rudman LLP toll-free at 1-800-ALAWPRO (1-800-252-9776). We will provide a free and confidential consultation and support you through this painful time. Call us now.