Ryan Zavodnick | June 22, 2025 | Car Accidents
Any motor vehicle accident can cause physical injuries and property damage. A hit-and-run accident, however, can pose particular difficulties because this scenario often introduces additional barriers to locating the driver and pursuing compensation through their auto insurance provider. The hit and run lawyers at Zavodnick & Lasky understand these complexities and offer the benefit of experienced perspective to individuals injured in hit and run crashes in Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. Call our office at (215) 774-6467 to schedule a private consultation to discuss the specifics of your case.
Understanding Hit and Run Accidents
A hit-and-run accident occurs when a driver leaves the scene of a vehicle collision without stopping to exchange insurance and contact information with the other party or parties involved or cooperating with authorities in the preparations of an incident report. Hit and run accidents can range in severity from mere “fender-benders” to potentially deadly events. In many cases, hit-and-run drivers may face criminal charges as well as civil lawsuits, but they must be identified before they can be held accountable for the harms they have inflicted on others.
Criminal Penalties vs. Civil Liability
In Pennsylvania, leaving the scene of an accident in which you were involved may be a violation of Penn. C.S. 75 § 3743 (2022). Such violations are charged as third degree misdemeanors, and a conviction may be penalized with up to one year of imprisonment, which may be accompanied by or substituted for a fine of up to $2,000. While criminal penalties for individuals who attempt to escape responsibility for harming others by unlawfully departing the scene of an accident is important, a criminal conviction will not by itself ensure appropriate compensation for the parties harmed by these irresponsible actions.
Individuals who have been physically injured or suffered property damage due to a hit and run accident may be able to hold irresponsible drivers to account and recover financial damages to cover the costs of their vehicle repairs, medical expenses, and other losses by pursuing justice through a different avenue. While criminal charges are filed by state prosecutors and tried in Pennsylvania’s criminal courts, anyone who has the legal “standing” (usually someone who can show they may have suffered harms due to the conduct of the defendant they name in their formal complaint) to do so can open a personal injury case through the state’s civil, rather than criminal, court system. A Pennsylvania hit and run lawyer is a personal injury attorney who handles this type of case.
What Does a Pennsylvania Hit and Run Lawyer Do?
To some extent, the activities and duties of a Pennsylvania hit and run lawyer will be very similar to those of a lawyer working on any other type of car accident case in the state. Generally, these responsibilities will involve investigating how the accident occurred and any circumstances that may have contributed to its severity, as well as developing a thorough understanding of how the accident’s consequences have affected the attorney’s client. Of crucial importance for many concerned car accident victims, an attorney will also typically handle the necessary court filings and the preparation of briefs and arguments – if the case goes to court. Often it is possible, and in many instances desirable, to “settle” the matter outside of court by reaching an agreement with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Developing a strong baseline understanding of how personal injury attorneys typically approach car accident cases can be very helpful in preparing to work with one. However, there are some situations in which a hit and run accident may call for an adjustment to an attorney’s usual approach. A personalized consultation with a member of the Zavodnick & Lasky team may help you to identify any particular concerns related to your hit and run case.
Hit and Run Lawyer: Car Accident Investigation
Parts of a hit-and-run lawyer’s job may be determined by whether the driver has already been definitively identified (usually by law enforcement). Most car accident cases begin with some element of investigation, but the car accident investigation in a hit and run case may involve different initial steps if the driver has yet to be identified, or if prosecutors have charged an individual identified by law enforcement but the defendant in that criminal case is pursuing an argument of mistaken identity.
Any uncertainty about the identity of the hit and run driver can considerably complicate the car accident investigation, as well as potentially affecting the most practical legal steps to follow in these early stages of the case. For these reasons, if you are considering working with a hit and run lawyer in your Pennsylvania car accident case, you will likely want to take your first meeting with the attorney as an opportunity to ask questions about any challenges they foresee related to this aspect of the case.
Hit and Run Lawyer: Calculation of Damages
As Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute (LII) explains, plaintiffs file lawsuits in the civil court system to seek legal “remedy” for the harms they have suffered as the result of another party’s misconduct. In their initial court filing, usually with the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas, a plaintiff (or an attorney acting on their behalf) will generally specify the type of “relief” the plaintiff is asking the court to grant. In personal injury cases, this relief is almost always requested in the form of damages – court-ordered payments made by the defendant to the plaintiff to compensate for the losses the plaintiff has suffered as a result of the defendant’s misconduct. Often one of the most important roles of a hit and run lawyer can be in the accurate computation of damages to ensure that the plaintiff in the case can be compensated fairly.
Hit and Run Lawyer: Negotiating a Settlement
Many car accident cases, even those affected by the potential complications of a hit-and-run accident, are eventually settled out of court. A Philadelphia hit and run lawyer will often file a claim with the at-fault driver’s auto insurance provider first, before filing a complaint in Pennsylvania’s civil courts. When effective, this strategy can allow for negotiations to discuss fair compensation for an accident victim’s losses, potentially saving the time and expense of a trial.
Hit and Run Lawyer: Litigating a Case
In the event that negotiations with the at-fault driver’s insurer do not yield a fair settlement out of court, a hit and run lawyer will handle the necessary court filings and prepare for trial. This stage can often be nerve-wracking for victims of hit and run car accidents, so it is important to make sure you feel comfortable with any hit and run lawyer with whom you choose to work, and that you communicate regularly with your legal team to understand how the case is progressing.
Accident victims may or may not need to testify in their own car accident cases; if such testimony is likely to prove essential to the case, then a hit and run lawyer will typically spend significant time preparing their client for what to expect on the stand. If this consideration arises in your own car accident case, asking questions to set your own mind at ease so that you can answer truthfully and confidently when the time comes may be one of the most important ways you can contribute to your own chances for building a persuasive case in court.
Speak With a Hit and Run Lawyer in Philadelphia
If you have been injured in a car accident in which the driver who hit you left the scene without meeting the information exchange requirements mandated by Pennsylvania law, you may have questions about how to receive compensation, whether or not the at-fault driver is facing criminal charges. A hit-and-run lawyer with Zavodnick & Lasky may be able to review your case and offer you informed perspective on your legal options. Call our office in Philadelphia at (215) 774-6467 today to schedule a consultation.
