hit and run

HIT AND RUN ATTORNEY IN GEORGIA

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You start to pull out of a grocery store parking lot. By the using rear camera assist and blind spot monitoring safety features, you are confident the ordinary driving maneuver will go off without a hitch.

Suddenly, you apply to much pressure on the accelerator, and your vehicle quickly leaves the parking spot and runs into the rear of a car located directly behind you. You quickly regain your senses, which leads you to write and leave a note for the owner of the other vehicle.
 

Unfortunately, a heavy downpour tears the note to shreds and by the time the owner of the damaged vehicle returns to her car, the note is just a distant memory. The owner of the vehicle is understandably furious and she contacts law enforcement to file a complaint., After viewing video footage captures in the parking lot, a law enforcement officer jots down your license plate number and promptly visits you to charge you with a hit and run.

A hit and run charge in Georgia can result in a penalty that remains on your record for years, if not decades. If you face the criminal charge of hit and run, you need to act with a sense of urgency by speaking with one of the accomplished attorneys at Garland Law Group. Our team of hit and run lawyers will thoroughly review your case and as you will see by the end of this page, use the best strategy for defending you against all charges.

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Georgia Hit and Run Statute

Georgia penal code O.C.G.A. §40-6-270 defines a hit and run crime in Georgia.

“The driver of any vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to or the death of any person or in damage to a vehicle which is driven or attended by any person shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of the accident or shall stop as close thereto as possible and forthwith return to the scene of the accident and shall give the following information:”

• Name, address, and vehicle registration number

• Presents driver’s license to the owner of the struck vehicle

• Provide assistance to anyone injured at the scene of the hit and run accident

• Ensure emergency medical personnel are summoned to the scene, if needed

Here is how Georgia defines a hit and run crime when a driver hits an unattended vehicle:

“The driver of any vehicle which collides with any vehicle which is unattended shall immediately stop and shall then and there either locate and notify the operator or owner of such vehicle of the name and address of the driver and owner of the vehicle striking the unattended vehicle or shall leave in a conspicuous place on the vehicle struck a written notice giving the name and address of the driver and the owner of the vehicle doing the striking.”

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What is the Punishment for a Hit and Run Conviction in Georgia?

The type of penalty handed down by a judge or a jury in a hit and run case can be life changing. A first conviction for a hit and run results in jail time not to exceed one year or a fine between $300 and $1,000. Punishment for a second hit and run conviction that occurred within five years of the first conviction is a prison sentence up to one year or a fine between $600 and $1,000. Anyone convicted of a third hit and run charge can face jail time up to one year and/or a fine that cannot be more than $1,000.

The seriousness of a hit and run charge should motivate you to take care of the charge right away. Our team of criminal defense attorneys have litigated numerous hit and run cases that have ended up in the favor of our clients.

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Powerful Defenses for a Hit and Run Charge

Our job as criminal defense lawyers is to find the right defense for your hit and run case. We have several options to help defend you successfully against a hit and run charge.

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Innocence

Like every other state, Georgia requires prosecutors in criminal cases to prove their charges “Beyond a reasonable doubt.” As the highest standard for guilt in the American criminal justice system, “Beyond a reasonable doubt” means not one juror should issue a guilty verdict, with the slightest doubt as to the guilt of the accused. We will thoroughly review your hit and run case to find evidence that proves your innocence. Our team of highly skilled lawyers will present physical evidence, as well as call expert witnesses to the stand.

Lack of Evidence

In the case mentioned at the beginning of this page, the prosecution used video only to the point of showing the accused’s license plate number. If the video was run longer, it would have showed the note left by the driver was destroyed in a rainstorm. Lack of evidence is a powerful defense tool in a hit and run case.

No Intent to Flee

What would happen if the driver did not know he or she hit another vehicle? The answer is the driver had no intent to flee. Some hit and run cases involve drivers that did not know they hit another car and thus, did not intend to leave the scene of the incident.