When Assembly Bill 60 came into effect in January 2015, it was met with mixed reactions, however, just over three years later, over 1 million immigrants who are in the United States illegally have benefited from the scheme. Allowing immigrants to obtain a driver’s license, providing they can prove their identity and their residency in California, the Bill has meant that hundreds of thousands of California residents can now use the roads legally. Since the right to hold a driver’s license was removed from this group in 1993, countless people felt forced to drive without a license, meaning they lived in fear of their car being impounded every time they took the children to school, went grocery shopping, or carried out various other everyday activities most of us may take for granted.
Not only has AB60 made it possible for these 1 million immigrants to drive legally, there are positive consequences for those driving in Los Angeles and other California regions, as illegal immigrants are no longer tempted to flee the law for fear of being deported, or to leave the scene of a car accident. In fact, research has shown that, since the Bill was passed in 2015, hit and run accidents in the area have dropped by around 7%, which is surely welcome news for all.
Hit and Run Car Accidents in Los Angeles – The Facts
Under California law, which is applicable in Los Angeles, hit and run car accidents can be classified as either misdemeanor or felony offences, depending on whether the resulting damage is limited to property (misdemeanor) or injury to persons (felony). Whether the Los Angeles car accident you were injured in was misdemeanor or felony, the same rules will apply, and the accident will be classified as a hit and run where:
- The driver left the scene of the accident
- Without identifying themselves to other parties involved, and
- Where damage to property or injury to persons was caused
Regardless of the circumstances of the incident, and the extent of the damages or injury, the same rules will apply to all Los Angeles hit and run car accidents.
The most common types of hit and run car accidents in Los Angeles are:
- A motorist driving away from a fender bender
- Driving away from an accident causing a minor amount of damage, such as bumping somebody’s fence
- Driving away from the scene of an accident caused by the driver, even where their car did not actually collide with another
Did you know that Los Angeles police handle around 20,000 hit and run accidents every year? That means that around 11% of all car accidents in Los Angles involve a driver leaving the scene. Additionally:
- Around 1,500 people are killed in hit and run accidents annually
- 60% of these are pedestrians
- 20% of fatal accidents involving pedestrians, and 10% of all fatal accidents in California relate to hit and runs
Affected by a Hit and Run? Speak to a Los Angeles Car Accident Attorney Today
If you have been injured, or had your property damaged, by a hit and run accident, you could be entitled to recover damages.
