Dedicated Hit and Run Defense Attorney in Los Angeles, CA, Defends Motorists Facing Criminal Charges Over Leaving the Scene of an Accident in Los Angeles County, Orange County, Ventura County, and Across Southern California
A single moment of panic can change your life. If you’re accused of having fled the scene of an accident in Los Angeles, you could be facing severe legal repercussions, potentially including felony charges and, if convicted, jail time and fines. You need a Los Angeles hit and run lawyer on your side immediately, before the situation has the chance to get worse.
At the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney, we’re ready to aggressively defend you against hit and run charges. We believe in proactive case preparation and early intervention, so the sooner you involve us in your legal defense, the better. For a free, confidential consultation, contact us today.
What to Do Now If You Fled the Scene of a Car Accident in California
Your actions immediately following a motor vehicle accident are crucial. It’s easy to panic in these high-stress situations, which is often what prompts drivers to leave the scene even though they know they should stop.
If you failed to stop and exchange the required information at the scene of the accident, the very next step you should take is contacting a Los Angeles hit and run defense lawyer. Don’t wait to involve an attorney, or you will lose the advantages of early intervention and risk making your legal problems worse.
Once you have retained a knowledgeable criminal defense attorney to advocate for you, your lawyer should immediately spring into action. Our first concern is to find out if an investigation is already in progress or if a police report has already been filed.
In some cases, simply communicating with the investigating agency through your attorney and promptly paying restitution for the damages caused by the accident will be sufficient to resolve the matter, and no criminal charges will be filed. Even if this is not the case for your unique legal matter, having an experienced attorney take proactive steps on your behalf puts you on the best possible path to fight hit and run charges and pursue a more favorable outcome.
If you missed the opportunity to hire an attorney early on in your case, that doesn’t mean you should face the charges on your own now. It’s better to bring on a skilled Los Angeles hit and run lawyer late than to not have one at all. If you have already been charged, our criminal defense lawyers may still be able to help you.
What Are Charges for Hit and Run Accidents in Los Angeles, CA?
Under California Vehicle Code 20001 and 20002 VC of CA law, fleeing the scene of an accident is illegal and punishable by both fines and jail time. Although this offense is a violation of the vehicle code rather than the penal code, a hit and run charge in California is still a criminal charge that carries serious consequences if you’re convicted.
What Constitutes a Hit and Run Under California Law?
If you’re in a car crash in California, the law requires you to stop, provide your information, and render aid if necessary. Failing to stop for any reason could get you into serious legal trouble.
In crashes that involve injuries to a person, all motorists involved in the collision are required to stop their vehicles immediately at the accident scene, provide reasonable assistance to anyone who is injured, and provide their contact information and vehicle information to the other party and any police officers on the scene. If no officers come to the scene, the motorist is supposed to make a report to a nearby police station or office of the Highway Patrol.
If the collision involved property damage only, such as striking an unoccupied parked car, state law requires the driver to stop at the nearest location they can safely do so without impeding traffic. The driver should locate the owner of the damaged property and provide their contact information and vehicle information to that person or, if unable to locate the property owner, leave that information and an explanation of the circumstances of the crash in a written note for the property owner. The driver should also notify the police.
You might face hit and run charges if you were found to have left the scene without exchanging your license and insurance information, regardless of whether you stopped initially or even whether you were at fault for the accident. All parties involved in a collision, not just the driver that caused the crash, are legally required to stop.
Areas Our Los Angeles Hit and Run Lawyer Serves
Hit and run collisions can occur anywhere in L.A. County, from city streets to major freeways like the Golden State Freeway/Santa Ana Freeway and from back roads cutting through Angeles Forest to scenic coastal drives like the Pacific Coast Highway. A hit and run defense attorney in Los Angeles, CA, at the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney represents people facing these charges all over L.A., including:
- Hollywood
- West Hollywood
- Downtown Los Angeles
- Beverly Hills
- Pasadena
- Santa Monica
- Westside
- Beach Cities/LAX
- The Valley
From our office locations in Van Nuys and Century City, we serve clients throughout Southern California, including the rest of Los Angeles County and all of Orange County and Ventura County.
Types of Cases Our Los Angeles Hit and Run Lawyer Handles
At the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney, you can count on an experienced hit and run defense attorney in Los Angeles, CA, to assist you with misdemeanor or felony hit and run charges arising out of any type of accident.
We aggressively defend clients facing hit and run charges that involve both single-car accidents and multiple-car accidents.
Hit and Run Examples
You might be charged with a hit and run if you left the scene of the accident without providing the required information after:
- Hitting a parked car, a telephone pole, or another obstacle, causing property damage
- Hitting another vehicle, causing property damage, injuries to occupants, or both
- Hitting a motorcycle, causing property damage, injuries to riders, or both
- Hitting a pedestrian, causing serious injury or death
- Hitting a cyclist, causing serious injury or death
If you fled the scene after hitting property, hitting another vehicle, or hitting a person, you need to retain knowledgeable hit and run attorneys in Los Angeles as soon as possible.
Penalties for Hit and Run Charges in Los Angeles
Hit and run charges amount to serious legal trouble. You need a strong defense on your side to avoid penalties that can be as serious as years of jail time and up to $10,000 in fines. You may also have your license suspended or revoked as an administrative penalty.
The hit and run punishments you could be facing depend on whether you are charged with a misdemeanor or a felony.
Misdemeanor Hit and Run Penalty
Hit-and-run accidents involving only property damage (no injuries to others) are typically charged as misdemeanors. The penalty is imprisonment in a county jail for a maximum of six months, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
A hit-and-run accident involving injury to persons is known as a “wobbler” crime. This means it can be prosecuted as either a misdemeanor or a felony. Often, these cases will be initially filed as a felony but may then be lowered to a misdemeanor offense at the prosecution’s discretion, depending on criminal history and other circumstances of individual cases. Having a seasoned Los Angeles hit and run lawyer on your side can help you seek to reduce a felony charge to a misdemeanor in instances like this.
If prosecuted as a misdemeanor, the penalty for hit and run accidents involving some injury could be at least 90 days and up to a year in a county jail, a fine of $1,000 to $10,000, or both.
Felony Hit and Run Penalty
When facing felony charges for a hit and run, you could be looking at considerable jail time.
According to Vehicle Code 20001, the felony penalty for a personal injury hit-and-run is incarceration in state prison for up to one year. If the car accident case results in death or permanent injury, the term increases to two to four years.
Even four years of jail time isn’t the worst-case scenario. A driver who flees the scene after committing gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated or due to gross negligence could face an additional five years in state prison.
How a Los Angeles Hit and Run Lawyer Can Help You
Hit and run accident cases are very delicate, and a lot depends on the circumstances surrounding your accident. A criminal lawyer at the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney can provide you with the following assistance:
Preparing Your Statement
You might need to give statements to the police or an insurance company after a hit-and-run. Speaking to an attorney beforehand can prevent you from saying anything self-incriminating. Your attorney can guide you through your statement and proper conduct after the accident.
Possibly Preventing a Trial
If you contact your attorney before charges are filed against you, they may be able to convince law enforcement not to contact the prosecutor. Early intervention is key to this outcome even being an option, so it’s important to consult an attorney as soon as a hit and run accident occurs. Don’t wait to see if you will get caught to seek legal advice and assistance.
Reviewing Extenuating Circumstances
One of the jobs of your hit and run accident lawyer is to assess the circumstances of your case. They will determine if any mitigating factors can help your case and use these facts to develop a suitable defense strategy in court.
Pushing for a Minimal Sentence
Even if you cannot be cleared of all charges, a skilled hit and run attorney may be able to get you a lesser sentence by negotiating with the prosecution for a plea deal or putting up a solid defense in court.
Contact a Los Angeles Hit and Run Lawyer at the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney Today for a Free Consultation
The possible consequences of a California hit and run conviction can be very severe. The ensuing criminal record and driving restrictions can affect you for a long time. But you have a fighting chance with the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney on your side.
Do not face the justice system alone. Representation by a skilled defense attorney can make all the difference, especially when you take action quickly. We combine experience with a compassionate, refreshing, aggressive criminal defense approach and do everything in our power to ensure that your charges are reduced or dropped.
Don’t take our word for it. Book a free consultation with a hit and run lawyer in Los Angeles, CA, to discuss how we can help you. To get started, contact us online or call (310) 209-3999 today.
