HIT AND RUN Traffic Light...?

Question

Okay so today I was driving...long story short I'm pretty sure the other guy hit me because I was 80% in the lane i was going to. He hit my rim mainly and a corner of the bumper. I couldn't open my door because he was too close then he drove up a little and pointed towards the right as if he was going to go stop there and wait for me. So as he did that, I got out the car took his license plate # and drove to the parking lot on the right. I waited 5 minutes, he didn't show up. I'm 17, so I called my dad and he called our lawyer and he was advised that if its not a big problem, we should just let it go. I think differently? Is there any law about Hit & Run?

Answer 1

Hit-and-run has severe legal consequences including the suspension or cancelling of one's driver's license, as well as imprisonment. Lifetime revocation of a driver license is possible in certain jurisdictions.  It never hurts to call your police department and speak to an officer.  They can answer your questions and if you feel you want to file a report (especially since you have their license plate number..good job by the way!) then you can do so at that point.  He also left the scene without knowing whether or not you were injured so that could be a stiffer penalty for the driver.  Good Luck!

Answer 2

If you are in California, if the accident is $500 or more in damage, you are required to report it. I was involved with a hit and run while waiting for a street light I was hit by an SUV from behind.  I too got a license plate after  the SUV litterally backed away, drove into another lane and speed away as I tried to exchange driver's licenses.   I went to the police department that was close by and told them the story and call my insurance.  The police give me a case number and a few day later issued my a letter in the mail basically saying the my insurance can check out a preliminary Police report.  The police report did not make a conclusion yet, but was written in a way that would allow my insurance company to allow work on m car while they investigated the accident.  In my case the driver had no insurance.  

What ended up happening was because my insurance had comprehensive, they decided not to pursue the case further and paid out.  No other action was ever taken by the police on the hit and run.  

If I were to follow up, I could have insisted particularly if I did not have comprehensive.  That is they way our system works with the resources it has.

So go ahead and make and call the police.  But before you do, write down everything you remember-Color, model and make of the car that hit you, type, time of the day, date, location so the police can make a report.  The lawyer is an idiot.  After the police, then call your insurance.  Nobody else. It's the law and you will get a better understanding of how the system works and cover your "assets" legally if it ever comes to that.  If you don't report in Caifornia, you have broken the law.

Hope that helps

Answer 3

I am pretty sure that the law says that in a hit and run the other guy is automatically at fault and can be arrested whether anyone was hurt or not.  

Answer 4

You should have at least called the PD so there would be documentation that you were at such and such a location and the guy did not meet you there after he indicated he would.  Now he could call the PD and say he has $5000 damage and a hurt neck and he waited for you etc..

It'll be your word vs his as to who "left" and what the damage on his car is.