No one expects car accidents to happen. Unfortunately, they seem to occur when you least expect them to. Vehicle accidents impact many people each year, causing severe physical, mental and emotional repercussions to everyone involved. 

It doesn’t matter if you’re driving in your car, cycling, riding a motorcycle or walking through your neighborhood – being involved in an accident brings significant stress and uncertainty to your life. If you have been in a car crash or witnessed one, holding the offender responsible for their misdeeds is essential. Therefore, you should contact a car accident attorney as soon as possible. 

Why is it Important to Speak Up if You Witness a Hit and Run Accident in Texas?

Texas has one of the country’s highest motor vehicle accident rates, and many of these involve hit-and-run drivers. According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), there are nearly 700,000 hit and run accidents yearly.

But, what makes a driver flee the scene?

Here are the most common reasons:

• They were under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• They were driving without a license or insurance
• They are wanted by police on other matters
• They have concerns about their immigration status

The bottom line: hit-and-run drivers are often engaged in illegal and potentially dangerous activities. Witnesses must come forward so these drivers can be held accountable for their actions.

Things To Do if You Witness a Hit-and-Run Accident

According to the Texas Statutes, witnesses that don’t speak up about a vehicular accident can receive criminal charges. Even if you were just a bystander to a hit and run, you have a moral duty to help.

As a potential witness, you need to take the right steps so you can give the authorities an accurate account of the incident. Make sure to follow these steps if you witness a hit-and-run accident in Texas:

• Call the police immediately;
• DO NOT attempt to apprehend the driver on your own;
• Write down a description of the driver, the vehicle and license plate number;
• Call an ambulance and provide comfort to victims;
• Once the police arrive, provide your contact information and a description of what you saw.

Even if you were unsure and did not immediately disclose what you saw, the police, the victim and the community will benefit from you coming forward.

How Can a Car Accident Attorney Help You Find a Witness to a Car Accident?

Identifying and locating witnesses can be a real challenge, especially when a lot of time has already elapsed from the accident. A vehicle accident lawyer is well-equipped to locate witnesses when building cases. In addition, legal professionals can help you find credible witnesses to increase your chances of proving the other party’s liability in court.

The passengers of the vehicles involved in the collision are the most apparent witnesses of the accident. But since these people are often friends and family members of the drivers, their statements are less credible. However, there are other unbiased and sometimes overlooked witnesses to the incident, such as pedestrians, drivers and passengers in other vehicles, people in adjacent buildings and emergency responders. A vehicle accident lawyer can help in several ways, and tracking down witnesses is just one way that they help you in a car accident case.

Finding Witnesses Long After an Accident

Identifying and locating a witness days or months after an accident can be challenging. However, there are a couple of resources that car accident attorneys use that might help:

• Police report: These are available to the public, but the process of obtaining these reports varies by state. 
• Video surveillance: Many businesses have security cameras, and many intersections have traffic cameras. A car accident attorney can get that footage for you.
• Canvasing the scene: Your legal team can canvas the scene if there is no police report available. 
• Additional witnesses: One witness often leads to other witnesses. Ask each witness you locate whether they remember anyone else at the scene.

Contact an experienced car accident attorney today and call the Law Offices of David Kohm at any of our convenient locations. We offer free consultations.

• Arlington (817) 522-4451
• Dallas (972) 362-6848
• Fort Worth (817) 764-1375
• Plano (972) 354-4602
• Cedar Hill (972) 338-9427
• McKinney (469) 522-3688
• Lewisville (972) 354-4605
• Frisco (972) 725-7681
• Grapevine (817) 835-8677
• Irving (972) 354-4610
• Keller (817) 204-0904
• Garland (214) 572-2251
• Denton (940) 222-4060
• Addison (972) 564-8108

You can also contact us online by using our quick contact form.