Thursday, April 8, 2010

Hit and Run Accident Results in 10-year Sentence

In February of 2009, Thomas Rouleau was killed as a result of an automobile accident that occurred at McDaniel College in Carroll County Maryland. The 19-year-old student and four of his friends where struck by a pick up truck near the college campus. The passengers in the vehicle with Mr. Rouleau sustained bodily injuries. Charges were pressed against the driver of the pick up and a Carroll County Circuit Court judge ruled in March 2010 that he was guilty of negligent manslaughter.


Whenever any collision occurs with an automobile, it is a crime to flee the scene of an accident. Criminal charges can be filed against you as they were in this case and there are severe penalties associated with charges of this nature. The guilty finding will most likely be admissible in any civil lawsuit that stems from the automobile accident.


In the event that the "at fault" party is located, if they are proven to the cause of the accident, then claims for property damage, bodily injuries, lost wages and pain and suffering can be brought against them. However, in most hit and run collisions, the "at fault" party often does not have auto insurance. In this situation a claim can still be pursued against your uninsured motorist coverage. In these cases, your automobile insurance rates will not rise.


Our Maryland automobile accident attorneys have experience with dealing with uninsured motorist claims. If you would like a free legal consultation or if you would like more information on car accidents, please contact Portner & Shure.



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