Humble Hit & Run Attorney
Frequently, law enforcement does not investigate these claims very diligently. These individuals have other priorities. Frequently, police investigators view car crashes as civil disputes, and they do not want to get involved. Many people think that, if the tortfeasor (negligent driver) flees the scene of a car wreck, they have no legal options. As outlined below, that’s simply not the case.
At The West Law Office, our Humble hit & run attorneys are highly experienced in this area. They know your legal options. Furthermore, our professionals are dedicated to fair compensation for accident victims. This dedication drives us to try harder in these situations and not give up when the investigative trail seemingly goes cold. Instead of quitting, we keep fighting for you.
Why Do People Run?
Part of being a good Humble hit and run attorney involves understanding one’s opposition. If we take the tortfeasor’s mindset into consideration, it’s easier to build a claim for damages.
Some tortfeasors flee the scene for objective reasons. Issues like outstanding arrest warrants, no insurance, and no valid drivers’ license spring immediately to mind. Other tortfeasors run simply because they think they can get away with it. To them, the cost of staying outweighs the risk of being caught.
These attitudes are certainly not excuses for negligent behavior. In fact, the worse the excuse, the more compensation a Harris County jury typically awards.
Tracking Down the Tortfeasor
The difficulty of obtaining a conviction is another reason many police departments do not aggressively investigate hit and runs. Generally, unless an eyewitness or video camera got a good look at the driver at or near the time of the wreck, hit and run criminal charges will not hold up in criminal court.
But in civil court, the burden of proof is only a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not). So, our Humble hit and run lawyers typically must only locate the vehicle’s owner.
A partial license plate number, along with a general description of the car, is usually more than enough. It is usually more likely than not that the vehicle’s owner was behind the wheel at any given time. That’s especially true if the owner did not have a rock-solid alibi for the time of the crash and there was only one set of car keys.
During this part of a personal injury claim, the professionals at The West Law Office frequently partner with private investigators. These individuals diligently locate and review surveillance footage, talk to other witnesses who might have seen something, and uncover other evidence police investigators often miss.
Arbitration Claims
Even if our professional team does not locate the tortfeasor, hit-and-run victims still have legal options.
In many cases, these victims can file claims with their own insurance companies. These insurance companies want to keep their customers happy. Therefore, such claims often settle quickly and on victim-friendly terms.
If the claim does not settle for some reason, it will probably go to arbitration instead of trial. Arbitration is a lot like a trial, except there is no jury and there is no public record kept.
Contact a Dedicated Texas Accident Attorney
Hit and run victims deserve solid representation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury attorney in Humble, contact The West Law Office, PLLC. We do not charge upfront legal fees in these cases.
