One woman was killed and one man was injured in a recent hit-and-run accident. According to CBS New York, it happened just after 9:00 p.m., as the two were standing outside of their broken down vehicle along Montauk Highway. An unknown vehicle slammed into them. The vehicle in question sustained front-end damage and fled the scene.
Our Long Island injury attorneys understand that this is at least the fourth high-profile accident that involved vehicles crashing into pedestrians last weekend and also the third in which someone was killed. According to USA TODAY, hit-and-run accidents are increasing in major cities across the nation and now legislators in a number of states are looking to beef up laws to address this problem.
According to accident information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the number of hit-and-run accidents is on the rise. In 2009, there were less than 1,300 of these kinds of accidents recorded, but in 2011 there were nearly 1,500. Perhaps more significantly, the more than 13 percent increase in hit-and-run deaths over that three-year period occurred while traffic deaths overall fell 4.5%, from 33,883 in 2009 to 32,367 in 2011.
According to detailed information, hit-and-run incidents are present in about one out of every five pedestrian fatalities, and roughly 60 percent of all hit-and-run accident fatalities have pedestrians as victims.
The New York City Department of Transportation reports that, in 2012, we saw a historic low in annual traffic fatalities. Although speeding was the greatest single factor in traffic deaths, the number of fatal hit-and-run fatalities increased roughly 31 percent since 2010 to 47 last year.
In a lot of these accidents, alcohol is a serious, and deadly, factor. Peter Kissinger with the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety says that our best defense against these kinds of accidents is to be more alert as pedestrians.
Another major factor in these kinds of accidents is drivers without a driver’s license and young drivers who get overwhelmed with the thought of the consequences of an accident.
From a victim’s perspective, when an accident happens with an uninsured motorist, the coverage pays for injuries, such as medical expenses, that result from an accident caused by a driver who is uninsured. It also protects you and your passengers if struck by a hit-and-run driver.
As soon as you become aware that you are the victim of a hit-and-run car accident, you’re going to want to get in touch with the police and file a report. If you witness the accident while it happened, try to note as much information as possible about the offender’s car. Take detailed notes regarding the accident, including details such as the make, model, color, and license plate number of the offender’s vehicle, and you should also try to get anyone else who may have seen the accident to do the same.
After that, you should contact an experienced attorney. No one should be left footing the bill for being victimized.
If you or someone you love has been injured in a traffic accident, contact the Law Offices of Nicholas Rose, PLLC for s free consultation. Call 1-877-313-7673.
More Blog Entries:
How Much Auto Insurance is Enough for a New Yorker, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, November 7, 2013
Early Dark Increases NYC Accident Risks, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, November 4, 2013
