What to Do if You’ve Been Accused of a Hit and Run Accident
- Posted on: Mar 21 2023
Leaving the scene of an accident in Virginia is a serious criminal offense. In fact, a hit-and-run conviction in Virginia can result in incarceration, restitution, and fines. Therefore, if you are facing a hit-and-run charge, you must take it seriously. In this article, we explain what to do if you’ve been accused of a hit-and-run accident in Virginia.
Common Reasons for Leaving the Scene of an Accident
There are several common reasons for leaving the scene of an accident, some of which are justified, and some of which are not. Common reasons for leaving the scene of an accident include:
Panic: Being involved in an auto accident can be confusing, scary, and traumatic. Sometimes, these mixed emotions can cause a driver to leave the scene.
Fear of arrest: If a driver is intoxicated or has a controlled substance in his or her vehicle, then he or she may decide to leave the scene of an accident to avoid immediate arrest.
Fear of retaliation: If a driver fears retaliation from the other party involved in an auto accident, then he or she may leave the scene to avoid a physical attack.
Seeking medical help: If a driver is injured in an accident, then he or she may leave the scene to obtain medical attention at the hospital.
Exigent circumstances: In some situations, a driver may believe that the importance of his or her original reason for driving outweighs the legal requirement to stay at the scene of the accident.
Common Hit and Run Defenses
Some of the reasons for leaving the scene of an accident discussed above provide valid defenses to criminal charges, including:
Exigent circumstances: If you left the scene of an accident due to exigent circumstances, your attorney may argue that you were justified in your reason for leaving the scene.
Seeking medical help: If you were injured in your accident, and your injuries required immediate care, then your criminal defense attorney will argue that your need for medical care outweighed the legal requirement to remain at the scene.
Fear of retaliation: Finally, if the other party in the accident acted aggressively towards you, then this can provide a valid defense to a hit-and-run charge in Virginia.
Contact a Virginia Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you are facing a hit-and-run charge in Virginia, there is one thing you must do to give yourself the best opportunity at obtaining a successful result in your case: contact a Virginia criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. At Walker Jones, PC, our knowledgeable attorneys will review the facts of your case, identify any applicable defenses, and aggressively defend you against your hit-and-run charge. When you reach out to us for help, we will do everything in our power to obtain a successful result in your Virginia hit-and-run case. Please contact us as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation with one of our talented attorneys.
Posted in: Criminal Defense
