South Florida Injury Attorneys Blog
Earlier last month in Fort Lauderdale, a 15-year-old girl was fatally struck by a hit-and-run driver. According to one local news source covering the story, the fatal accident took place at the intersection of Northwest 15th Avenue and and 11th Street, and it occurred at around 8:45 in the evening.
Evidently, the young girl had left her home and was running to the store when she was struck. Witnesses told police that they recall seeing a grey or silver Chevy Camaro speeding through the neighborhood shortly before the accident. One man called Crime Stoppers after he witnessed the accident, telling police that the Camaro hit the girl, didn’t once come to a stop, and just kept on driving.
Emergency responders quickly arrived at the scene, but by the time the young girl was transported to the hospital it was too late. She was pronounced dead a short time after the accident. Police are still looking for the driver of the Camaro that struck the young girl and left her for dead.
Hit-and-Run Accidents in South Florida
Several of the witnesses interviewed in the story discussed above made note that these kinds of accidents happen all too often because drivers commonly speed though the neighborhood. However, they also expressed their surprise that that driver failed to stop afterwards. Indeed, it takes a certain level of callousness and selfishness to strike a pedestrian with a car and then continue on without stopping to check if they need help.
However, enough people do flee from the scene of serious accidents to make it a serious concern for the Florida legislature. In fact, the legislature has passed into law a bill requiring a driver to stop after they are involved in a serious or fatal accident, even if the other driver was not the one who was at fault in the accident. The law states that any driver involved in an accident involving the potential for injury or death has a duty to stop and see if the other driver needs medical assistance. This duty also includes providing transport to the nearest hospital or calling emergency responders, if needed.
When a driver fails to stop after being involved in an accident, they decrease the chance that the other person involved will survive. In too many cases each year, an accident victim dies because no one is around to get them the help they need until it is too late. In such cases, the negligent driver that fled the scene may be held financially liable by the victim’s surviving family members through a wrongful death action. To learn more about wrongful death actions in South Florida courts, contact a dedicated South Florida personal injury attorney.
Have You Been Injured in a Hit-and-Run Accident?
If you or a loved one has recently been the victim of a car crash, you may be entitled to monetary compensation for the injuries you sustained. If it was your loved one who was involved in the accident, and they died as a result, you may seek compensation on their behalf through a wrongful death action. In either case, you can expect that the other driver and their insurance company will deny liability and attempt to shift the blame onto someone else. To ensure that you are treated fairly throughout the trial process, call 800-753-5529 to set up a free consultation with a skilled and compassionate attorney.
More Blog Posts:
Miami Dade Commissioner Arrested for DUI; Pleads Not Guilty, Cecere Santana Injury Lawyers Blog, published October 11, 2015.
Florida Supreme Court Holds Accident Victim’s Future Medical Payments Through Medicare and Medicaid Not Admissible at Trial, Cecere Santana Injury Lawyers Blog, published October 20, 2015.