Can you still recover money for a car accident claim if you leave the scene of the accident?
When you are in a car accident in Vermont you are required to stay at the scene of the collision. You can be cited into court if you leave the scene of the accident. However, you can still pursue a personal injury claim against the other driver’s insurance company if the other driver is at fault. It isn’t clear why Jordan Lanou left the scene of the accident in the Vermont State Police Blog noted below. His Jetta was totaled but it appears he was uninured. He had his seat belt on but the driver and passenger in the other car didn’t have their seat belts on and suffered serious personal injuries.
I had an interesting case once representing someone who was in a car accident a half mile from his home. His driver’s license was suspended at the time so he shouldn’t have been driving. He almost made it home when a car coming from the opposite direction crossed the centerline smashing into my client’s car causing the accident. My client was scared because he knew it meant jail time because of his DLS so he left of the scene of the accident. The police were easily able to figure out he was the driver since his car was there and multiple witnesses placed him at the scene of the crash. We were able to settle his auto accident claim against the negligent driver’s insurance company despite the DSL.
The average auto accident settlement is three times greater when the injured person is represented by a lawyer. Please call David Polow, a Hyde Park Vermont personal injury attorney, for a free phone consultation about your car accident claim.
STATE OF VERMONT
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY
VERMONT STATE POLICE
NEWS RELEASE
MOTOR VEHICLE CRASH
CASE#: 20A503474
RANK/TROOPER FULL NAME: Trooper Ian Alford
STATION: Derby
CONTACT#: 802-334-8881
DATE/TIME: 9/5/20 at 1102 hours
STREET: Hollow Road
TOWN: Barton
WEATHER: Clear
ROAD CONDITIONS: Dry
VEHICLE #1
OPERATOR: Stacey Williams
AGE: 55
SEAT BELT? NO
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Albany, VT
INJURIES: Critical Condition
HOSPITAL: University of Vermont Medical Center.
VEHICLE YEAR: 2003
VEHICLE MAKE: Toyt
VEHICLE MODEL: Rav
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #1: Totalled
Vehicle#1
PASSENGER: Charles King
AGE: 62
SEAT BELT? NO
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Albany, VT
INJURIES: Serious
HOSPITAL: North Country Hospital
VEHICLE #2
OPERATOR: Jordan Lanou
AGE: 23
SEAT BELT? YES
CITY, STATE OF RESIDENCE: Holland, VT
INJURIES: Moderate
HOSPITAL: North Country Hospital
VEHICLE YEAR: 2009
VEHICLE MAKE: VW
VEHICLE MODEL: Jetta
DAMAGE TO VEHICLE #2: Totalled
SUMMARY OF CRASH:
On 9/5/20 at approximately 1102 hours, The Vermont State Police
responded to a two vehicle head on crash that occurred on the Hollow road in
Barton. The section of Hollow Road where the crash occurred was observed as
being a narrow dirt road. The investigation revealed that Vehicle #1 driven by
Williams had been left of center while cresting the brow of a hill. This
resulted in a head on collision with Vehicle #2 driven by Lanou. Williams
suffered significant injuries and was flighted by DART to UVM medical center.
Williams passenger (King) was transported by ambulance to North Country Hospital
for the injuries he sustained. Operator Lanou had fled the scene prior to the
State Police arrival. Lanou later turned himself in and was subsequently charged
with Leaving the Scene on an accident with injuries resulting. Lanou was
released on a citation to appear in Orleans Superior Court on 10/27/2020 at 1000
hours. This vehicle crash remains under investigation, anyone with information
about this crash is asked to call the State Police barracks in Derby
MUG SHOT: Yes
COURT ACTION: Yes
COURT: Orleans Criminal Court
COURT DATE/TIME: 10/27/2020 1000 hours
Trooper Ian Alford
Vermont State Police
Troop A – Derby Barracks
35 Crawford Rd
Derby, VT 05829
Ian.Alford@Vermont.gov
at 9/05/2020 05:46:00 PM
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