Car accidents happen all the time. However, if you flee the scene of an accident without stopping to exchange information with the other parties, you may be subject to either a felony or misdemeanor criminal charge.

The best advice is to always stop after being involved in an accident. However, in some situations, you may not know that you caused an accident, and thus may unknowingly flee the scene. If you are charged with a hit-and-run offense, you should hire an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense attorney to strategize the best defense to dismiss the charges.

Felony v. Misdemeanor Hit and Run Offenses in California

Under California law, if a driver flees the scene of an accident, they can be charged with either a misdemeanor or felony. The difference between the two is that a misdemeanor involves only property damage, whereas a felony charge deals with injury. In other words, if you caused an accident where another party was injured, you may be charged with a felony if you flee the scene of the accident.

Defenses to Hit and Run Charges

Just because you are charged with a hit and run offense does not mean that you are automatically guilty. Depending on the specific facts surrounding the alleged crime, your Los Angeles criminal defense attorney may be able to use one of the following defenses:

• You lacked knowledge about causing an accident
• You lacked knowledge about the other parties being injured in the accident
• You were not the person who was involved in the accident

Call an Experienced Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney

For more information or to schedule a complimentary consultation with Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Simon Aval, please call us at (800) 209-9808 or complete our online form. Mr. Aval is a Certified Specialist in criminal law by the state bar of California.