Earlier this year in October, a key Florida State football cornerback was involved in a serious hit-and-run accident. Despite the seriousness of the accident, and his fleeing the scene, he was let off the hook relatively easily by police. According to one news report by the New York Times, the accident occurred at 2:37 in the morning on a Sunday night.
Evidently, the Florida State player drove his car into the path of an oncoming vehicle, causing the serious accident. Rather than stay at the scene and make sure that the other driver was all right, he decided to flee the scene with his two passengers.
The cornerback eventually returned to the scene. When he did, police were present and conducting an investigation into what had happened. However, despite the fact that the accident occurred late at night, the officers did not administer an alcohol test. They didn’t even ask the player if he had been drinking that evening.
That wasn’t the only favorable treatment that the driver received, however, As it turns out, the police initially classified the accident as a hit-and-run accident, which is a crime. However, once the football player returned to the scene, and they realized who he was, the police re-classified the accident. Additionally, the accident report left off the fact that the other driver’s airbag actually deployed in the accident.
No matter how you look at it, the police cut the football star a break in how they handled the case. However, by cutting the player a break, they also jeopardized the other driver’s ability to seek justice in a civil lawsuit.
Police Investigations and Civil Lawsuits
Most of the time, the police investigation is a useful tool for accident victims to use when establishing a case of negligence against a defendant. However, in some cases the police investigation is not adequate. In these cases, a private investigation conducted by a personal injury attorney may discover what the police investigation did not.
In the above case, it seems fairly clear that there was more to the story than the police reported. However, if certain news outlets hadn’t adopted the story and dug deep to uncover the truth, it is likely that the general public never would have known the football player’s true involvement in the accident.
Have You Been Injured in a Florida Car Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been involved in a serious Florida car accident, you may be entitled to monetary damages to help compensate you for your injuries. Even if a police investigation did not uncover the truth, it may be that a more i-depth and thorough investigation is necessary. To learn more about Florida personal injury cases, and to speak to a dedicated Florida accident attorney about your case, call one of the skilled attorneys at Cecere Santana at 800-753-5529 to discuss your case.
More Blog Posts:
Are You a Victim of Personal Injury?, Cecere Santana Injury Lawyers Blog, published August 26, 2014.
Save Money on Auto Insurance, Cecere Santana Injury Lawyers Blog, published July 23, 2014.