Over the past decade, Americans have faced a significant rise in hit and run accidents around the country. According to accident statistics, at least 15 percent of those accidents have resulted in fatalities. Hit and run accidents put drivers, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians at risk for serious injuries and death.
Survivors of hit and run accidents are often faced with severe injuries including broken bones, neck and back injuries, spinal injuries, facial lacerations, head trauma, and brain injuries. Many injuries result in long-term health problems including physical and mental disabilities. The financial consequences from these accidents are often high enough to cause loss of a job or home, as well as daily struggles with household bills and life’s necessities. With help from an accident attorney in Portland, Oregon, injury victims from hit and run accidents can often recover damages for medical bills, hospitalization costs, physical and mental therapy, loss of income, and emotional stress. In some cases where accidents are caused by negligent drivers, injury victims may be awarded punitive damages by the court to punish the negligent driver.
Hit and run accidents are especially dangerous in rural areas and late at night when traffic is minimal and there is nobody around. Many injury victims require immediate medical care to prevent the possibility of extreme blood loss, shock, and organ failure that can lead to death. If the victim is knocked unconscious or unable to call for help, there is a good possibility they could die at the scene of the accident. The failure of a hit and run driver to stop and help the victim or call for emergency medical help means the difference between life and death for many hit and run victims.
Hit and run accidents create significant dangers for injury victims. The course of a person’s life can be needlessly changed in an instant by a hit and run driver who fails to stop and offer help. If you have suffered injuries from an auto accident, it’s important to contact an accident attorney in Portland, Oregon who can help you recover damages for your injuries.