Investigators have very few clues after a pickup truck hit and seriously injured a pedestrian. The driver immediately fled the scene.
South Carolina Highway Patrol Troopers said a vehicle was traveling east on Bethesda Road near Wheeler Road when it hit a pedestrian and left the scene.
The pedestrian suffered serious injuries as a result of the crash, troopers said.
Pedestrian Injuries and Speed
Velocity is always a key factor in personal injury claims. Vehicle speed is often a critical factor in pedestrian injury claims. At impact speeds under 15mph, the pedestrian fatality rate is less than 10 percent. At impact speeds above 45mph, the pedestrian death rate catapults to over 60 percent.
Most pedestrian accidents happen outside marked crosswalks and in non-intersections. Since the tortfeasor (negligent driver) is often traveling at or near top speed, a Columbia hit & run accident lawyer can usually obtain substantial compensation in these cases. These victims need this compensation so they can pay accident-related medical and other bills, and also so they can pick up the pieces of their shattered lives.
Pedestrian injuries usually include head injuries and other injuries that are difficult to diagnose and treat. Many head injury victims have few physical symptoms. They often don’t crack their skulls or bleed very badly. Therefore, doctors often dismiss initial head injury symptoms as shock from the accident. Shock injuries quickly heal themselves, but head injuries are permanent.
Furthermore, head injuries are degenerative. Initial symptoms, like confusion and soreness, become more advanced symptoms, like severe headaches and personality changes. At that point, even more severe symptoms, like dementia, are just around the corner and very difficult to prevent.
A Columbia personal injury lawyer connects pedestrian victims with doctors who know how to diagnose and treat head injuries and other injury-related conditions.
Legal Issues in Hit-and-Run Cases
Usually, compensation for economic and noneconomic losses is only available if a lawyer identifies and takes legal action against the correct person. That’s usually possible even if the tortfeasor flees the scene. These cases are simply a little more time consuming.
The burden of proof in a criminal hit-and-run case is beyond any reasonable doubt. So, unless the state has overwhelming evidence of guilt, these cases are hard to win.
In contrast, the burden of proof in a civil claim is much lower. A Columbia personal injury lawyer must only establish liability by a preponderance of the evidence (more likely than not). Therefore, locating the vehicle’s owner is just as good as locating the driver. It’s more likely than not that the owner was driving the car at the time of the wreck.
Attorneys often partner with private investigators to link vehicles with owners. Private investigators often review countless hours of video surveillance footage from nearby cameras, looking for an image of a damaged vehicle that includes at least a partial plate number.
Additionally, investigators subtly ask questions at local body shops. These owners often refuse to talk to police investigators. But they will talk to a victim’s lawyer, or his/her representative.
Time-consuming stakeouts often bear fruit as well. Most people adhere to the same basic daily routine. So, they’ll usually return to the scene of the crime.
Contact a Hard-Working Richland County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in Columbia, contact the Marc Brown Law Firm. You have a limited amount of time to act.
Source:
foxcarolina.com/2023/03/26/troopers-searching-vehicle-information-after-hit-and-run/