Criminal vs Civil in Pedestrian Accidents
A four-year study out of the San Francisco Bay Area shows that roughly 60 percent of drivers involved in a car-pedestrian accident faced NO criminal charges. And this study only reviewed drivers who hit pedestrians who were within the protected crosswalk zones.
If you hit a pedestrian, you have a 40 percent chance of facing criminal charges. Don’t delay in calling a lawyer — the longer the lag in your own personal investigation, the more difficult it will be for your lawyer to defend you. Time is a critical factor and you can’t depend on a low-priority police investigation to find the witnesses who might be able to vouch for you actions as a driver. In addition, you don’t want to rely on your car insurance company to be the only professionals looking to relieve you of undue burden. You need a lawyer on your side.
If you were a pedestrian hit while in the crosswalk, you also can’t rely on the police to prosecute the driver who hit you. Keep in mind, the driver has a 60 percent chance of walking away without any legal penalties. The driver can simultaneously face criminal and civil charges — meaning that if the driver doesn’t have to face criminal charges, you can still sue for damages in the civil courts.
Once the accident has occurred, there is no time for delay. You need to hire a personal injury attorney to help defend or prosecute your case. The longer the delay, the fewer details your lawyer will be able to recover about the accident.
