Hit and Run

In the state of Washington, failing to stop after an automobile accident is a serious crime with potentially devastating consequences. You are required to exchange information and render aid to any injured parties if you are in an accident where a person or property is involved. A hit and run criminal conviction will incur severe penalties that will likely have a devastating effect on your life, your insurance rates, and your wallet.

Hit and Run can be either a felony or misdemeanor in Washington State, and this is determined by a few different factors. If you leave the scene after crashing into and damaging an unattended vehicle, you will likely be charged with one of the forms misdemeanor hit and run. It's commonly referred to as Hit and Run "Unattended".

If the vehicle is attended and you flee, a lot depends on the part inside the vehicle. You may be charged with a misdemeanor. However, if you flee the scene of an accident scene where a substantial injury was involved, then you can be charged with a Class C felony. A conviction could lead to up to five years in prison and fines totaling $10,000. If the accident leads to the death of another person, you could be charged with Vehicular Assault and facing a $20,000 fine, as well as up to ten years in prison.

With stakes this high, you must take any hit and run charge very seriously. We urge you to contact one of our qualified Olympia hit and run lawyers for a private consultation, and get more facts before doing anything else. If nothing else, we can probably tell you what type of Hit and Run offense you will be charged with, as well as the potential consequences if you are ultimately convicted.

Why would you want to contact one of our Olympia hit and run lawyers? Because we can help. Whether you've already been charged with a hit and run crime, or hope to minimize the penalties you're facing in whatever way possible, contacting an attorney should be one of your highest priorities.

Facing your charges promptly and head on is the action that is most likely to lead toward the successful resolution of your case. For this reason you should retain a legal professionals as soon as you can, so that they can start investigating the details of your case in an effort to assemble a strong and viable defense.

Hit and run accidents happen in Washington with surprising frequency, and they happen under a wide variety of circumstances and for many different reasons. In some cases drivers have been involved in an accident and did not intend to depart the scene without following legal guidelines. Often, something very bizarre and unusual just happens. If this sounds familiar, then you should consider retaining legal counsel before approaching the authorities or responding to them. Many of our Hit and Run clients are even unaware that they even caused an accident.

Additionally, there have also been cases where a driver was involved in an accident, and the sudden adrenaline rush caused by the situation made them panic and leave the scene. Later, when their head clears, they realize that they made a huge mistake and want to turn themselves in to the police in an effort to do the right thing. While this is commendable, it is still prudent to talk to a qualified Olympia hit and run attorney before taking any action, because you have very important legal rights according to Washington law.

Immediately after any accident there is a great deal of confusion and chaos. For this reason, identifying the guilty party in a hit and run case can be difficult, if not impossible. This could and does sometimes cause someone to be falsely accused of a crime they didn't commit.

Don’t let this happen to you! Contact one of our Olympia hit and run lawyers for a cost-free, confidential consultation, and get accurate legal information that you can use to move forward with your life. Our team of legal experts will do everything legally possible to aggressively defend your interests, while seeking to minimize the penalties associated with your charges, using every legal tool at our disposal.

Our Olympia criminal lawyers serve all of Thurston County. Call now for help and real answers.