Dec 16, 2016 - Car Accident by Justin Roberts
According to the Texas Transportation Code, it is illegal for anyone involved in a vehicle accident that results in injury to people or property to leave the scene of the accident. The crime of hit-and-run can be either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the degree of injury or property damage.
If you leave the scene of an accident where someone is injured or killed, this is a felony punishable by two to 10 years in state prison. If the injury is not serious, you can still be charged with a felony that is punishable by up to one year in county jail, five years in a state prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000.
Texas law requires you to stop and take the following actions after an accident:
If the accident involves death or injury, you are required by law to stop and render aid. You must also provide your personal information, including your driver’s license, if requested.
If the accident involves damage to an occupied vehicle, you must stop and render aid as necessary. You must also provide your personal information, including your driver’s license, if requested.
If the accident involves damage to an unoccupied vehicle, you must stop and locate the owner or driver of the damaged vehicle and provide your personal information. If they cannot be found, you must leave a note in a conspicuous location providing your personal information as well as the circumstances of the accident.
If the accident involves damage to private or public property, you must stop and “take reasonable steps” to find the owner or entity in charge of the property and provide your contact information. If the damage is more than $1,000, you are required to file a police report.
While the law requires you to file a police report, it also protects you from having any statements you make in the report from being used in a civil lawsuit.
If you or someone you love has been injured as a result of a hit-and-run accident, our Texas personal injury attorneys have the experience and resources to help you through this difficult time and obtain just compensation for your injuries. Please call 800-248-6000 or contact us for a free consultation.
Justin is an attorney at Roberts & Roberts and focuses his practice on mass tort litigation, where he specializes in helping individuals who are harmed by recalled or unsafe pharmaceutical drugs and medical devices. He has earned recognition as a “Top 40 Under 40” Trial Lawyer by the National Trial Lawyers. Prior to joining Roberts & Roberts, Justin served as an attorney in all three branches of Texas’s state government, including as a Briefing Attorney on the Texas Supreme Court. He also represented electric and natural gas utilities in complex regulatory proceedings before the Public Utility Commission of Texas and the Railroad Commission of Texas. Justin is a published author in the St. Mary’s Law Journal.
