hit and run LAWYER In San Diego:
Fleeing the Scene of an accident

When you have been arrested for fleeing the scene of a car crash, I can help you fight the charges. I am hit and run defense attorney Peter M. Liss. I graduated from the top ranked University of California, Berkeley Law School and I have experience successfully defending people just like you who have been charged with criminal traffic offenses including hit and run accidents in San Diego County.

You can schedule a free consultation at my criminal defense office across the street from the North County San Diego courthouse and jail in Vista by calling (760) 643-4050. I guarantee my clients will receive high quality representation from a top-rated hit and run lawyer and I offer reasonable rates and accept all major credit cards.

Facts About Hit and Run Accidents

One thing many people fail to understand about hit and run accidents is that you do not need to have caused the accident in order to be charged with this crime. Even if someone else hit your car, you can be charged if you left the scene without providing the other driver with your information.

Similarly, some people think you can only be charged with hit and run if you leave after hitting a car or a person, but not non-vehicle property such as a mailbox or someone’s pet. In fact, whether you hit someone else’s property, vehicle or another person, you can be charged with fleeing the scene of an accident in San Diego County if you do not provide the other person (or persons) with your name, contact information, insurance information and driver’s license number.

It is worth mentioning that you can legally leave the location of an accident in order to seek emergency medical assistance for you, your passenger or someone else injured in the accident. In these cases though, you must tell hospital officials or the police about the incident so they can identify anyone else who was involved and give them your contact and insurance information. If you are charged with a hit and run despite the fact that you went to get emergency care and provided the police or hospital staff with information about the accident, your hit and run attorney in San Diego can ensure the charges against you are dropped.

Penalties for Fleeing the Scene of an Accident

The specific charges filed in a hit and run accident will vary based on the specific circumstances of the incident, including whether someone was injured or only property damage occurred, if anyone suffered great bodily injury and if the defendant has any prior convictions on their record. If a person injured in a hit and run accident has died, the defendant can even face vehicular manslaughter or homicide charges. When an animal dies after a hit and run accident, the prosecution may file animal abuse charges.

Felony hit and run charges will be filed if you fled from the scene when someone was injured even just a little. Penalties can include jail or prison time, a driver’s license suspension and large fines, even if you were not responsible for the accident. If you leave the location of an accident that only results in property damage, you will face misdemeanor hit and run charges, where the maximum penalty will be $1,000 and six months jail time. Regardless of what kind of damage occurred, the law allows the state to seize your vehicle in some cases.

In many hit and run cases, an attorney may be able to have the charges reduced or secure an alternative sentence such as community service to help you avoid incarceration. In cases with no injuries, the case may even be dropped if the other party agrees, which they often do when you agree to a civil settlement to cover the damages. It is critical anyone charged with hit and run contact a San Diego hit and run lawyer as soon as possible to secure the best results given the specific circumstances of your case.

San Diego Hit and Run Defense Attorney Peter M. Liss Can Help You

Peter M. Liss has over 30 years of experience handling all types of misdemeanor and felony criminal traffic cases just like yours and has successfully tried hundreds of cases. Throughout the course of your case, he will advise you about the status of your case, argue for reduced bail, make necessary court motions such as suppressing evidence, seek reduction of charges whenever possible, and fight for alternative sentencing or the lowest possible sentencing available.

Your attorney can even take you take you to the police or sheriff’s station and aid you during questioning if they ask you to take your vehicle in and describe what happened. This is critical in helping to protect you from saying something that may later be used against you in court. As your attorney, Mr. Liss can represent you at your trial or in a plea bargain and in most misdemeanor cases, you will not be required to appear in court.

Peter Liss will help you evaluate all possible legal defenses to this crime, which may include mistakes by the police officer who arrested you, the fact that you were not the one driving or that you didn’t realize that you were involved in an accident. After working with you to establishing the right defense for your specific case, he will help investigate your case and gather evidence on your behalf to support your defense.

When you work with Mr. Liss on your hit and run case, you can be sure that he is the only attorney working on your case. You can always expect an immediate, courteous response after contacting him any time of day thanks to his live, 24-hour answering service.