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Leaving the Scene of an Accident (Hit and Run)
Attorney William A. Stavros has many years of experience defending those accused of leaving the scene of an accident and allegedly failing to comply with various statutory obligations. These serious traffic violations are commonly referred to as “Hit and Run”. Mr. Stavros has experience handling hit and run cases in both the State and Federal Courts in Maryland.
There are a number of different citations an officer may write for illegally leaving the scene of an accident. Many of these citations carry potential incarceration and points sufficient to cause the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration to seek to suspend or revoke your drivers license depending on the exact charge. Anyone accused of leaving the scene of an accident should contact an experienced traffic lawyer immediately to discuss the facts and circumstances of their particular situation. William A. Stavros will methodically go through the facts of your case and apply it to the law to see which defenses and/or options may be recommended.
William A. Stavros is an experienced traffic lawyer. You may contact him at (410) 825-3300 to set up a free consultation to discuss your situation. The Eastern Shore office number is (410) 739-0794.
General Information Regarding Hit and Run Charges in Maryland State Court
The law in this area is complex. The information below is in no way intended to be legal advice nor is it a complete or comprehensive account of the law in this area, nor does it create any attorney-client relationship. The following is merely a basic overview of some of the applicable laws. If you are accused of leaving the scene of an accident you should contact William A. Stavros immediately to discuss your particular situation.
In Maryland, a driver involved in any accident must stop as close as safely possible to the scene of the accident without obstructing traffic more than necessary. If the accident involves bodily injury, death or damage to an attended vehicle or property the driver must stop and render reasonable assistance to any injured person. Maryland law requires that a driver provide all required identification and insurance information to any injured person as well as the driver, the occupants and any person attending any vehicle or other property damaged in the accident.
Maryland law further dictates that if the damage is to attended property and no one is available or in a condition to receive the information, and there is no police officer present that a driver shall immediately report the accident to the nearest police authority and provide all of the required information. If however, the damage is to unattended property the law requires that the driver search for the owner or person in charge of the unattended vehicle or property and notify that person of the necessary information. If that person, however, cannot be found the driver must leave the required information in writing in a safe and conspicuous place in or on the damaged vehicle or property. If the note a driver leaves is not found, however, it will be up to a court to decide whether to believe the driver’s claim to have left the appropriate information. Stopping and remaining at the scene and immediately calling the police to report the accident would reduce the risk of anyone claiming that a note was never found; it may also resolve other potential misunderstandings and issues that might arise even if an appropriate person is available at the scene to exchange the required information.
People have a variety of reasons for failing to comply with their statutory duties after being involved in an accident. Some of them may amount to a legal defense to the charges. Other explanations may be mitigating. Some explanations, however, may only exacerbate the situation. It is important to speak with an experienced attorney as soon as possible so that he can help you avoid actions that may make things substantially worse. Call William A. Stavros as soon as possible and request a free consultation at the numbers provided above.