Mother and 3 children injured in South LA hit-and-run
Every single hour, 52 California residents are injured in a hit-and-run accident. According to statistics, each year over 19,000 people are injured and 150 are killed in such accidents. Here is one recent example – a mother and her three children were seriously injured in a crash in a South Los Angeles neighborhood. The victims were traveling in an SUV that was hit by a silver Mercedes, which, according to witnesses, ran a red light in the intersection. Firefighters had to extricate the victims from the wreckage. Paramedics performed CPR on two of the children, including an 18-month-old, who went into cardiac arrest following the high-speed crash.
As for the driver of the Mercedes, he did not waste more than a few seconds to see what happened to the people in the other car, before he fled on foot. Local police were keeping an eye on the hospitals in the area as they believed the man might have been injured.
What to do if you were involved in a hit-and-run?
Seasoned Long Beach car accident lawyers warn their clients they need to act fast if they were involved in a hit-and-run. Their chances of recovering damages depend on finding the driver who fled the scene.
Call 911 right away
If a hit-and-run results in property damage, injury, or death, the fleeing driver risks being charged with a misdemeanor for leaving the scene.
Don’t chase the other car
California police say chasing the other driver can be dangerous as it may lead to yet another accident. Keep in mind that, even if you were not severely injured, you’ll still be in shock so a high-speed chase is not a good idea.
Write down everything you remember
This should be your first priority. You must write down or at least record on your phone anything you remember about the other car and its driver. If you didn’t get the license plate, maybe you noticed the make or model of the other car.
Document the scene
Just look around and see if there’s any piece that may have fallen off the other car after the crash. Even a broken tail lamp could help identify the car that hit you.
Talk to witnesses
This is another thing you should do right away. Keep in mind that some people may not stick around until the police arrive. Ask the witnesses if they recall anything about the other car or they managed to get a picture of the car. Write that down as well. Get the witnesses’ names and contact info.
Get yourself a lawyer
The police will do what they can to locate the car, but they are often overwhelmed by the high number of crashes they have to respond to. You need to find yourself an experienced lawyer who can dedicate their time and energy to finding the one who did that to you. They will visit the scene, talk to witnesses and examine surveillance camera footage to try to identify the car.
Have you been injured in a California hit-and-run accident?
If you or a loved one were recently involved in a hit-and-run accident in California, contact the skilled attorneys at the Neumann Law Group. Our attorneys possess years of experience in personal injury and wrongful death cases, including hit-and-run and other types of car accidents. Through our dedicated representation of car accident victims and their families, we will help you bring the irresponsible driver to justice. To schedule a free initial consultation, call our toll-free number at 800-525-6386. To contact our California office, call 213-277-0001.
