Teenager Hit by Hit and Run Driver in St. Augustine, Florida
A teenager who was walking her dogs along Cornell Road in St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida was hit by a driver who then fled the scene, according to an article on Firstcoastnews.com. The teenager was injured as a result of the crash and taken to Shands Hospital. The driver fled the scene and was later caught after St. Johns County police received tips that she hid her car in the woods and removed the tag. The driver, Ginjer Ullman, was charged with leaving the scene of a crash with serious injury.
The fact that a crash involves a hit and run can certainly affect the value of a personal injury case when the victim is injured in such a crash. Attorneys for the victim would certainly investigate all possible reasons for the driver to have left the scene, whether drugs or alcohol were involved or some other factor that contributed to the driver's negligent or reckless driving. The insurance company for the hit and run driver and the defense lawyer the insurance company hires will also know they have an unsympathetic client and should be more willing to pay a fair settlement amount to resolve the personal injury case without a trial. When a driver causes a crash and leaves the scene, it raises several issues that can increase the value of a personal injury case. At a minimum, it casts doubt on any argument that the driver was not at fault in causing the crash but also raises red flags as to the extra dangerous behavior on the part of the driver that caused her to exacerbate the problem and her negligence by leaving the scene of the accident.
