Family lacks options for compensation until drivers are identified.
Hit and run accidents have long been a problem in LA. But one recent accident involving not one but two hit and run drivers should shock even our area’s jaded citizenry.
Around 2:50 am, 47-year-old Heriberto Ruiz was riding his bicycle south along Rosemead Boulevard. As there is no dedicated bike lane on this street Ruiz was traveling in the right hand lane. A vehicle attempted to pass him using the same lane, striking him and knocking him to the ground. At this point a second vehicle struck Ruiz.
Both drivers fled the scene. While there is no description for the first vehicle, eyewitnesses report that the second vehicle was a late 2000 model white minivan. A third driver finally stopped to help Ruiz, but sadly Ruiz died at the scene of the accident.
This shocking bicycle accident has left Ruiz’s family reeling. His sister has urged the drivers to “have a conscience” and turn themselves in. Considering that the majority of hit and run cases are never solved by police, it does indeed appear that this family’s only hope for compensation lies in one of the drivers having a change of heart.
Options for Victims of Hit and Run Accidents
The ideal resolution to a case like that of Mr. Ruiz would be for the hit and run drivers to be located so that his family could seek compensation through a wrongful death suit against those drivers.
Though hit and run cases are extremely difficult to solve, police do have some tactics at their disposal that could help. First of all, they can compile eyewitness testimony to see if more details about the drivers can be gathered. Secondly, they can check for security cameras in the area to see if any footage of the accident may be captured. And, in the case of a driver that flees the scene on foot, bloodhounds may actually be used to track the driver. This strategy was actually successful in the capture of a hit and run driver just last week.
If it is not possible to locate the hit and run driver and file a personal injury claim against them, victims of hit and run car accidents may still be able to use their uninsured motorist insurance to receive compensation. This compensation will likely be limited to medical expenses and not extend to pain and suffering, which is why it is always preferable to locate the driver and file a personal injury claim.
