Drivers that are involved in car accidents in California are required by law to stay at the scene. Even if a person was not the at-fault driver in an accident, they could be charged for a hit-and-run if they leave the scene without providing certain information.
What information are drivers required to provide after an accident?
California law requires drivers to stay at the scene of a car accident they were involved in and reasonably assist anyone who might have been injured. Stopping after an accident does not mean that drivers cannot move their vehicles off of the road.
After pulling over to a safe area, drivers must share identifying information with police officers or other people who were involved in the accident. The pieces of information that must be shared by drivers include:
• Name
• Address
• Vehicle registration number
• Name and address of anyone else in the vehicle
What should accident victims do if a driver doesn’t stop?
If you are injured in a hit-and-run accident, your first priority is to get to safety and call 911. You should also make sure everyone else is OK and provide assistance. While the memories are fresh in your mind, take notes or record yourself recalling everything you can remember about the driver that fled. If the driver can be identified, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against them.
Ideally, someone at the scene will have noted the hit-and-run driver’s license plate number. This might allow police to quickly identify and track down the driver. When you don’t have this information, though, any other identifying information could help the investigation. Police will likely want to know what direction the car was headed, the make and model of the vehicle, and whether it may have been damaged in the accident.
If you have been involved in a hit-and-run accident, please feel free to contact The Law Office of Aman N. Shah for a free initial consultation.
