Stats show that in Los Angeles alone, there is a hit and run accident every 18 minutes. Since they are so common, you may believe that they are not that serious or are not taken seriously by prosecutors. This is not true. In many cases, they are charged as felonies and can lead to years in prison. Read on to learn more about what you can do to fight a case against you. Then contact Law Office of Michael L. Fell at (949) 585-9055 for a free legal consultation.

A hit and run can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony

A hit and run is what’s known as a wobbler offense in California. This means it can be charged either as a misdemeanor or it can be charged as a felony. It all depends on the specific circumstances of the case. In most cases you will be facing a misdemeanor if the accident was minor, the other driver was at fault, you weren’t involved in the accident but were the cause and you left the scene, or your actions caused damage to someone’s property.

It can be charged as a felony if there was significant injury to another person. In the event a person is harmed or dies in a hit and run accident, and you left the scene, then you could end up facing a felony. In this case, it does matter if there was someone else at fault and it does not matter if you believed the injury was minor. If you left the scene and it turns out someone was injured or died, then you could be facing felony charges.

Potential consequences for hit and run charges in California

If you are charged with a misdemeanor hit and run then you could spend as long as six months in jail and pay fines of as much as $1,000. You could also face additional penalties such as two points added to your driving record, restitution to the victim, and as much as three years of informal probation.

As you may expect, a felony case of hit and run can come with more significant consequences. The punishment could include 16 months, two years, or three years in prison if the hit and run resulted in an injury. In the event the hit and run resulted in a death or other serious injury, the charge could be up to four years in prison. Either way, the charge could come with fines of as much as $10,000 and two points added to your driving record. It would also leave you open to being sued by the victim or their family.

Call today to find out more about your options

If you have been charged with a hit and run in California then there is no question about it: You need help from an attorney. You can start with a free legal consultation by reaching out to Law Office of Michael L. Fell at (949) 585-9055. We will go over the basics of your case, offer solutions, and help you through this difficult time.