Driving under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating substances can give you a higher chance of getting involved in an accident. You can easily panic after you cause a serious accident and make a quick escape plan.
Escaping after an accident does not relieve you from guilt but it only opens another window for additional legal charges against you. No matter how serious the accident you caused is, you should never leave the scene until the police or your lawyer arrives.
You can be accused of hit and run offense
Legally, you should stop after you cause an accident and remain there until the victims are assisted and you are told on the next action. While on the accident scene, you must inform your accident attorney in Long Beach and your motor vehicle insurance company. If you escape away from the accident scene, the police can seek hit and run charges against you in a court of law.
Your penalties are stricter
Choosing not to escape does not mean you cannot be charged in court and receive penalties. Your accident lawyer Los Angeles can help you get lesser charges, but it can be hard for you to get lesser charges if you caused the accident and escaped. The court might slap you with stricter penalties and can give you a longer jail term.
You can lose your insurance claim
Even if it is you who caused an accident, your insurance company can consider compensating you especially if your car accident attorney in Long Beach helps you. After you inform your insurance company, they can come on the ground and do their investigations. The situation can be very difficult for you if you escape because you give your accident victim a greater chance to win the case.
You might not get legal help
When you are driving under the influence and cause an accident, you have a right to get legal help from an accident attorney in Long Beach. The accident attorney will come on the scene and record every piece of information that can be used as evidence. After you escape, the best you can take is to avoid letting anyone know including your lawyer. The action will deny you a chance to get legal help.
The police can add more charges
The police will weigh the situation on the accident scene and determine who to charge and the kind of charges to give. They will check if the motorists had driver’s licenses if the vehicles were insured and other conditions set by law. If you had escaped, the police can add more charges like destroying property, careless driving, and so on.
Let a DUI attorney help you
Fear is the greatest thing that will make you escape after causing a DUI accident. You should avoid getting greater penalties by waiting at the scene of the accident. Our DUI attorney will help you overcome your fear by giving you legal help. Instead of escaping, call our DUI attorney on telephone (562) 526-1224.