A car accident can have serious consequences for both the victim and the driver who caused the crash. However, those consequences are nothing compared to what can happen when a driver “hits and runs.”
If everybody knows that they have a legal obligation to stick around after they’ve been involved in a crash, why are there an average of six hit-and-run accidents every day in this country?
Largely, people go into panic mode and act on sheer instinct
Fear is the overwhelming emotion that most people experience when they’re involved in a crash, and fear can make people behave in ways that are out of character for them. In many cases, drivers who hit and run are afraid of facing the consequences because of things like the following:
- They had prior encounters with the police and may even have warrants.
- They were drinking and driving or were under the influence of drugs.
- They were conscious of how the accident would affect their insurance rates.
- They worried about the repercussions on their professional life.
In some cases, the sheer split-second nature of the collision left drivers convinced that the accident was minor, while others may not have even realized they hit a pedestrian or another vehicle at all. When the road is dark, it can be easy to assume that they hit an animal or just something abandoned in the street.
In other words, the decision to hit and run is often not really a decision at all. It’s a reaction — one that may be more driven by adrenaline than logic.
If you’ve caused an accident and left the scene, there’s no denying that you’re in a difficult position. However, you have rights that deserve to be protected, and there are defenses available.