CHP Investigating Possible Felony Hit-and-Run
Few details were available after a passing motorist on Interstate 8 told officials there was a body on the side of the road. Investigators, who offered no other details, shut down a portion of Interstate 5 in the Midway District while they collected evidence.
High-Speed Car Crashes and Pedestrian Injuries
At impact speeds of over 55mph, the pedestrian death rate is over 90 percent. Therefore, freeway pedestrian accidents are almost always fatal. Unprotected pedestrians bear the full brunt of oncoming vehicles, so they suffer serious injuries like:
- Exsanguination: Excessive blood loss is usually the official cause of death in a pedestrian accident claim. The extreme impact causes internal bleeding that’s difficult to spot, especially for emergency responders with no diagnostic equipment, and hard to stop, even for doctors at hospitals.
- Broken Bones: The same extreme impact that smashes internal organs against each other also shatters bones, especially at the point of impact. If the victim survives, and that’s a big “if,” these crushed bones often permanently impair mobility.
- Head Injuries: These wounds are a combination of broken bones and internal bleeding. The impact of a pedestrian accident usually cracks the skull. This impact also causes the brain to slam against what’s left of the skull. The combination of piercing bone chips in the brain and the slamming motion kills tens of thousands of Americans every year.
At night, pedestrians are hard to see. Furthermore, most drivers don’t expect to see pedestrians on interstate freeways. These excuses don’t change the fact that the driver was negligent and therefore liable for damages. That’s especially true in hit-and-run cases. These drivers basically give up their right to tell their side of the story.
Compensation in a hit-and-run case usually includes money for economic losses, such as medical bills, and noneconomic losses, such as pain and suffering. A Carlsbad personal injury lawyer can usually obtain additional punitive damages as well. Most jurors hate most hit-and-run drivers.
Evidence in Hit-and-Run Cases
Many TV shows and movies make an attorney’s life look exciting and glamorous. That’s occasionally true. But for the most part, a San Marcos personal injury lawyer does mundane work most of the day, such as watching traffic videos and following up on dead-end witness statements.
Usually in hit-and-run cases, lawyers review security video from around the scene, looking for a vehicle with damage consistent with the hit-and-run impact. The coroner, who can usually set an approximate time of death and determine what injuries killed the decedent, can narrow the search.
Furthermore, in every civil or criminal case, someone saw something. An attorney, usually working with a private investigator, must simply track these people down. A witness who only caught a fleeting glimpse of a passing car might be the critical missing piece of the puzzle.
A little evidence goes a long way in a civil case. Attorneys must only establish facts, like the vehicle’s identity, by a preponderance of the evidence, or more likely than not. So, a vehicle with crash-consistent damage was, more likely than not, the hit-and-run vehicle.
Connect With a Hard-Working San Diego County Lawyer
Injury victims are entitled to substantial compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced personal injury lawyer in San Marcos, contact the Pursley Law Firm. Virtual, home, and hospital visits are available.
Source:
sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2024-04-25/chp-investigating-after-body-found-on-side-of-interstate-8
