Hit and Run charges VC 20002
You must exchange insurance information after an accident and failure to do so can result in a Hit and Run charge.
How it happens
If you got into a traffic accident and you did not exchange insurance information with the other driver, the police might charge you with a Hit and Run (VC 20002). It does not matter who is at fault for causing the accident.
After the incident, the police usually send you a letter asking you to come to the police station to talk about the incident and then afterwards they send you a letter with a court date charging you with a Hit and Run.
We can help in Los Angeles County
If you are charged with a Hit and Run (VC 20002 of the California Vehicle Code) in Los Angeles County, please call us immediately at (310) 285-1516.
We can help you try to work out a civil compromise with the other party involved in the accident which would keep the Hit and Run off your record along with two points off your license record.
The consequences of a Hit and Run
This charge is a (a criminal offense) which can result in at a minimum:-
- Probation
- A $1000 fine
- Possibly 2 or 3 points on your driver’s license record
- A criminal record
- Increased insurance rates
Three points on your license
If you are charged with a Hit and Run (California Vehicle Code Section VC 20002), you are possibly facing:-
- 2 points for the Hit and Run
- plus 1 point for the accident
- for a total of 3 points on your license.
You want to avoid these points going on your Driver's License record. If you get:-
- 4 points in one year
- 6 points in two years
- or 8 points in three years
- then the California DMV will want to suspend your license for 6 months for being a negligent operator, a driver with too many points.
A successful way to fix this problem of points from your Hit and Run is to work out a civil compromise.
Civil Compromise
Get the Hit and Run charges dropped
A successful way to fix this problem is to try to work out a civil compromise. A civil compromise is an agreement where, in exchange for paying for the damage to the other car, you get the other party to agree to drop the Hit and Run charges. If the Judge and prosecutor go along with this agreement you can get the Hit and Run charges dropped.
More about Hit and Run
You can be charged with a Hit and Run (VC 20002) if you get into an accident and you do not give your insurance information to the other driver. It does not matter who is at fault for the accident. What matters is that insurance information be exchanged with the other driver after an accident. Many times what happens in the traffic-congested streets of Los Angeles is that there is a minor car accident and it is very difficult to pull over and meet up with the other driver. Nonetheless, your license plate number is written down by the other party and they call the police to report a Hit & Run (VC 20002). You then might receive a letter from the Police Department asking you to report to the police station or you might receive a letter charging you with a Hit and Run (VC 20002) violation. The police might also come to your residence.
Felony vs Misdemeanor
You do not want a Hit and Run violation on your record because it is a misdemeanor as long as the other party was not seriously injured. If you seriously injure someone in an accident and you leave the scene without exchanging Insurance Information it is a Felony and you face much more serious punishment. Generally, the punishment for a misdemeanor Hit and Run (VC 20002) is 3 years of summary probation, around a $1,000 fine and 2 points on your driver's license record which will make your insurance rates go way up.
That is why when you are charged with a Hit and Run (VC 20002) you want to work out a Civil Compromise. A Civil Compromise is where you pay for all the damage the other driver suffered and you get the Judge and Prosecutor to go along with it. If the other party is paid off for their damage and agrees to a Civil Compromise, the Hit and Run charge against you will be dismissed and you will not have a criminal record from this incident.
We can help in Los Angeles County
If your Hit and Run is in Los Angeles County, call us for a free legal consultation regarding your case (310) 285-1516. We have successfully helped a lot of people who have been charged with a Hit and Run (VC 20002(a)).