For those who have stayed up-to-date concerning general accident trends in Los Angeles, the fact that the city has struggled to curb hit-and-run accidents is no great surprise. Leading local newspapers such as the LA Times have focused on the city’s fight against the "hit-and-run epidemic" plaguing the city since at least 2015.
Unfortunately, reporting from NBC Los Angeles reveals that this epidemic is still a tangible and pervasive safety risk in LA. According to NBC4’s investigative team, a hit-and-run occurs approximately every 18 minutes in the city of Los Angeles.
These hit-and-run accidents often result in critical or even fatal injuries, which occurred in a recent North Hollywood accident in June of 2018.
Recent North Hollywood Hit-and-Run Leads to Devastating Injuries
In the late evening hours in North Hollywood, a pedestrian was walking outside of a crosswalk when a vehicle struck her and briefly stopped. After this brief stop, however, the driver sped off and left the scene with the injured pedestrian, who was ultimately taken to a local hospital in critical condition.
Given that nearly 20 million people live in the Los Angeles area — an area comprised of less than 5,000 square miles — it is not uncommon for victims to be hit by drivers outside of crosswalks. Worse, many streets and roadways do not have crosswalks at all. The high number of vehicles, when combined with these factors, make pedestrian accidents unfortunately common.
The injuries suffered by pedestrians tend to be uniquely harmful since the victim is defenseless against what essentially amounts to an armored vehicle. These injuries are only compounded when drivers choose to speed off and ignore the consequences of a hit-and-run accident since time is often of the essence when critical medical care is needed for seriously injured victims.
It is estimated that 20 percent of all pedestrian fatalities are hit-and-run accidents, and it must be reiterated that Southern California has the highest percentage of hit-and-run accidents in the nation.
If you or a loved one has been injured or worse in a hit-and-run accident in the Los Angeles area, talk to a Los Angeles accident lawyer at The Ledger Law Firm to pursue compensation and protect your legal rights.
Talk to a Los Angeles Injury Lawyer at Ledger Law
For too many hit-and-run victims, it can be difficult to assign fault and liability toward the driver involved since the hit-and-run driver fled the scene to escape apprehension and legal consequences. Our national law firm will put its investigative resources to work for your claim, in order to discover the at-fault party and the compensation that is owed to you.
In addition to finding the negligent party who fled the scene, victims can also recover compensation by obtaining uninsured motorist insurance, which compensates victims when harmed by hit-and-run drivers.
For more information about California hit-and-run laws and your rights to legal compensation as an accident victim, contact us online for a free case evaluation to discuss your legal claim.
