Hope for Victims of Hit-And-Run Accidents

A 14-year-old girl was struck by a hit-and-run driver before being hit by two other cars on February 6, 2014. The ninth grader was crossing Hempstead Turnpike when the driver of a passenger vehicle crashed into her, throwing her into the air before fleeing the accident scene. 

A day later, a commercial truck hit a man near a busy Brooklyn intersection, crushing him under its wheels before speeding off. The victim was pushing a shopping cart past a three-axle flatbed truck when the truck’s driver suddenly pulled into the street. Cops are on the lookout for the hit-and-run truck driver. 

Just one week earlier, a college student was killed when she was struck by a hit-and-run drunk driver. The 18-year-old was walking with friends near the Bard College campus when she was hit. Carol Boek, who has a previous drunk driving conviction, is charged with felony driving while intoxicated and vehicular manslaughter. 

Fatal hit-and-run accidents occur all too frequently:

• Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that fatal hit-and-run crashes are on the rise.
• In 2009, there were 1,273 fatal hit-and-run crashes, increasing to 1,449 by 2011.
• According to the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, more than 60 percent of hit-and-run fatalities involve pedestrians, and a very large number involve alcohol. 

There are several ways victims of hit-and-run accidents, including pedestrians and cyclists, may obtain insurance compensation. When a hit-and-run driver is found, the driver’s no-fault insurance should cover medical costs. If the negligent driver escapes, the victim’s own supplemental uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage may provide benefits. If there is no applicable insurance coverage, a victim may qualify for benefits under the Motor Vehicle Accident Indemnification Act. In addition, in certain cases a victim may be able to sue for personal injury and property damage. To learn more about hit-and-run accidents and other vehicle crashes in New York, seek the assistance of knowledgeable auto accident lawyers.