A car smashes into yours, giving your body a good jolt and setting off the airbags. Like a good citizen, you pull over to exchange insurance information and determine what injuries there are. Suddenly, you see the other vehicle’s taillights fading away as the driver flees the scene.
It can be frustrating, even maddening, when the other person simply keeps on driving rather than stopping to check on the health of others involved in the wreck. Hit-and-run accidents in Maryland and throughout the nation make up about 11 percent of all car accidents.
These careless drivers will occasionally try to argue that they didn’t know they had hit anyone—but don’t let them fool you. Rarely can you get into an accident without knowing it. In fact, the bulk of drivers who try using the “I didn’t see anything” excuse were drunk at the time of the accident, resulting in even more serious consequences.
It’s against the law to flee the scene of a car crash, so if the other driver is discovered later, rest assured that person will be held accountable for his or her actions. A driver who flees the scene of an accident in Maryland that involved injury can be charged with a felony, up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. The sentence is more severe if the accident resulted in death.
If you’ve been injured in a Maryland auto accident, you have a right to compensation, whether or not the other driver stayed on the scene. To learn more about how to get the money you deserve, contact an experienced Maryland car accident attorney at Nickelsporn and Lundin.