Beverly Hills Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers
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- Hit-And-Run Accident Statistics
- Defining a Hit-and-Run in California
- Common Questions About Hit-and-Runs in Beverly Hills
- Statute of Limitations for Hit-and-Run Injury Claims
- Consequences of Hit-And-Runs In Los Angeles County
- How Hit-and-Run Victims Can Protect Themselves
- Why Should I Hire a Beverly Hills Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer?
Compassionate Beverly Hills Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyers Who Turn Victims Into Victors
Beverly Hills is a city that is a little more than 10 miles northwest of Downtown Los Angeles. Well known for being home to a more lavish lifestyle, Beverly Hills is commonly associated with Rodeo Drive, which has been commonly called the most expensive street in the world. CBSLA-TV reported that Beverly Park Circle had a median home value of $16,489,565, while Beverly Park Terrace had a median home value of $15,813,337.
The 2020 United States Census reported that Beverly Hills had a population of 31,896 as of July 1, 2021, and 53.2 percent of the population was female while 19.7 percent was under 18 years of age, 22.9 percent was 65 years of age or older, and 2.8 percent was less than 5 years of age.
While Beverly Hills is more commonly associated with an upscale quality of living, people should not think that the area is immune from many of the same difficulties and challenges proposed by other areas of California. The truth remains that car accidents are just as common in Beverly Hills as they are in any other city in the Golden State.
In addition to the aforementioned Rodeo Drive, other common streets in Beverly Hills include Mulholland Drive, Sunset Boulevard, Santa Monica Boulevard, Beverly Drive, and Coldwater Canyon Avenue. All of these streets can see various types of accidents, ranging from read-end collisions to T-bone collisions and even hit-and-run accidents.
The Los Angeles Times reported in 2015 that pedestrians were involved in 1 in 10 traffic accidents in Los Angeles between 2002 and 2013, but represented over 35 percent of road deaths. CBS News reported that the 2,049 deaths in the United States resulting from hit-and-run crashes in 2016 included 337 fatalities in California, which was the highest number the state has ever seen and a 60-percent increase over 2009.
California Vehicle Code § 20002 establishes that a person involved in an accident resulting only in property damage must immediately stop their vehicle at the nearest location and locate and notify the owner or person in charge of the property or leave in a conspicuous place on the vehicle or other property damaged a written notice giving the name and address of the driver and of the owner of the vehicle involved. Failure to fulfill these obligations will constitute a hit-and-run offense that is punishable by either up to six months in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
A farm worker, suffered multiple broken bones and other orthopedic injuries resulting from an auto accident where the defendant driver attempted to make a left turn in front of our client in heavy fog.– ARASH KHORSANDI
Hit-And-Run Accident Statistics
A study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety stated that the 1,980 fatal hit-and-run crashes resulting in 2,049 fatalities were the highest annual number of hit-and-run fatalities or crashes recorded since NHTSA began compiling statistics on fatal motor vehicle crashes in 1975. More alarmingly, 1,398 of these crashes involved non-vehicle occupants such as pedestrians or bicyclists.
In June 2018, the Los Angeles Daily News reported that only 8 percent of hit-and-runs are solved by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), with prosecutors only filing charges in 73 percent of cases in 2017 and 63 percent in 2016. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that while traffic deaths decreased by 4.5 percent between 2009 and 2011, fatal hit-and-run accidents increased by 13.7 percent.
When Hit-and-Runs Involve Bicyclists or Pedestrians
It is important for any pedestrian or bicyclist struck by a motor vehicle to contact the police and report the incident quickly. Another basic fact of hit-and-runs involving pedestrians and bicyclists is that catastrophic injuries can be more common because non-vehicle occupants often have little to no protection in these cases.
Defining a Hit-and-Run in California
While California Vehicle Code § 20002 establishes the misdemeanor offense relating to hit-and-run offenses involving only property damage, California Vehicle Code § 20001 is the state law that can make it a misdemeanor or a felony for a person to flee the scene of an accident resulting in injury or death. A person can be sentenced to up to five years in state prison and ordered to pay as much as $10,000 in fines.
The bottom line for a hit-and-run offense in California is that a driver was involved in an accident and did not stop to exchange information as required by the law. Certain cases may involve additional criminal charges, such as unlawful exhibitions of speed.
Who Pays Hit-and-Run Damages?
When a person has a hit-and-run claim in California, damages are typically going to be paid by one of the two parties:
The Hit-and-Run Driver
Your Own Automobile Insurance Provider
Common Questions About Hit-and-Runs in The 90210
Our clients often have numerous inquiries regarding their hit-and-run cases. Some of the most frequently asked questions include:
- Is it still considered a hit-and-run if it was not my fault?
- What if the damage was extremely minimal?
- How can they track me down?
Impact of Road Design on the Increased Likelihood of Hit-and-Run Accidents
Statute of Limitations for Hit-and-Run Injury Claims
The Judicial Branch of California states that the statute of limitations for personal injury actions, such as car accidents, will be two years from the date of an accident. One important exception to this rule concerns injuries that are not immediately discovered, as people can have up to one year to file a claim from the date an injury is discovered.
There are other reasons a court can toll (delay) a cause of action, including a victim being less than 18 years of age (in which case they get two years to file after turning 18), a victim being declared mentally incompetent, a victim dying within six months of the end of the statute of limitations, a victim being in prison, or a victim performing military services. You will want to speak to a local Beverly Hills lawyer experienced in hit-and-run accidents about what your filing options are and how your time limit can be impacted.
In a hit-and-run case, the statute of limitations can also be tolled while the Beverly Hills Police Department is still seeking the offender. You will not lose your right to pursue compensation simply because another person tried to avoid accountability for their accident.
What a Prosecutor Needs to Prove in a Hit-and-Run Case
A prosecutor handling a hit-and-run case will be trying to prove that a person was driving when they caused a traffic accident and did not take any of the steps outlined in state law relating to actions that must be taken. The prosecutor does not necessarily need injury information, although it can help prove their case.
Consequences of Hit-And-Runs In Los Angeles County
Beverly Hills Felony Hit-and-Run Lawyers
What Kind of Financial Recovery Can I Pursue After A Hit-and-Run Accident?
- Medical bills – People can recover compensation for all past, present, and future medical expenses.
- Lost income – People may be entitled to compensation for any income they lose because of an inability to return to work or reduced income when a person cannot make as much as they did before their accident.
- Out-of-pocket expenses – Possible expenses subject to reimbursement may include transportation costs, rental car expenses, prescriptions, and medical devices.
- Pain and suffering – Most car accident victims are dealing with some kind of pain and suffering, and these awards may be enhanced for people with severe injuries.
- Reduction in quality and enjoyment of life – There can be compensation when an accident dramatically alters the enjoyment a person has with life.
- Loss of sexual relations (consortium) – People can seek compensation for how their accidents are impacting their love lives.
- Punitive damages – A very limited number of cases can be eligible for punitive damages, which are intended more to punish offenders for leaving the scenes of accidents.
You will want to work with an Beverly Hills car accident lawyer experienced in “hit-and-runs” as soon as possible after your crash. Under the leadership of Arash Khorsandi, Esq., Arash Law has handled scores of motor vehicle crash cases all over California, including many hit-and-run cases.
Our injury firm will immediately conduct our own independent investigation into your crash and work with authorities to help bring them to justice.
What Should I Do if the Insurance Company Calls Me After a Beverly Hills Hit-and-Run Accident?
Do not ever speak to any insurance company that is not your own insurer. Many insurance companies are going to try a variety of tricks to get you to speak to them, but you always have the option of just telling the insurer to talk to your hit-and-run accident lawyer in Beverly Hills, C.A.
One common trick of insurance companies is to claim that they need a recorded statement to process your claim, and the statements are seen as harmless by many people since they are only describing what happened. In actuality, insurers are going to try to use the opportunities to get people to unknowingly make very damaging admissions about their accidents that are held against them later.
Settlement in a motor vehicle accident; client suffered internal injuries.– JUDD ROSS ALLEN
How Hit-and-Run Victims Can Protect Themselves
- Park – Both California Vehicle Code § 20001 and California Vehicle Code § 20002 stipulate that people should immediately stop their vehicles at the nearest locations. Failing to stop will be fleeing the scene, which can lead to criminal charges.
- Call the police – The DMV says people should immediately report collisions to the local police or California Highway Patrol (CHP). Accident reports must be completed within 24 hours if a crash involves injury or death. People must also report collisions by completing a Report of Traffic Accident Occurring in California (SR 1) to the DMV within 10 days when there is over $1,000 in damage to the property of any person or any person who suffers an injury or is killed.
- Collect evidence – While a police report is certainly going to be important to a case, people can also do certain things to help collect other kinds of evidence. You can use the camera on your cell phone to take photographs or videos of your crash scene, being sure to get shots from different angles and distances.
- Find a witness – When you are able, look for any possible witnesses to your accident. Get their contact information.
- Contact a Beverly Hills Hit-and-run Accident Lawyer – While people have two years to file injury claims, you do not want to wait two years to contact a lawyer. Get yourself legal representation without delay in these cases because a lawyer can help you strengthen your case and also work to ensure that you can recover as much as possible.
Why Should I Even Hire a Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer?
When we are talking about personal injury settlements, one common question we get is why should a person even bother to hire a lawyer when an insurance company is going to be paying them anyway? You will be greatly served by reading the One Insurance Research Council (IRC) study entitled “Paying for Auto Injuries: A Consumer Panel Survey of Auto Accident Victims,” which found that victims who hired Beverly Hills hit & run accident lawyers received 40 percent more in settlements with insurance companies than those who represented themselves.
You will immediately put yourself in a much stronger position to recover as much compensation as possible when you hire the best possible Beverly Hills hit-and-run accident lawyer. With the guidance of Arash Khorsandi, Esq., Arash Law will do many different things that will help your case, including:
- Working with law enforcement and private investigators in Beverly Hills to find a hit-and-run driver
- Determining if any other party contributed to the crash and shared liability
- Protecting you from insurance companies trying to limit your financial payout after the accident
- Preventing other parties from shifting the blame to you by claiming that you were to blame for an accident
- Consulting with experts as we analyze your case for proper value
Call the Hit-and-Run Lawyers Beverly Hills Trusts
If you suffered serious injuries or your loved one was killed in a hit-and-run accident in the greater Beverly Hills area of California, do not wait to get yourself legal counsel. Whether you have a concern about possible criminal charges or you need help recovering the money you need for all of your bills, Arash Law under the supervision of Arash Khorsandi, Esq., can be here to help.
Operated by Arash Khorsandi, Esq., Arash Law serves clients in communities throughout the Beverly Hills area, including Manhattan Beach, West Hollywood, Walnut Park, Culver City, Huntington Park, Santa Monica, West Athens, Inglewood, Hawthorne, Burbank, El Segundo, Los Angeles, Westmont, Glendale, and Lennox.
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