After a car crash, every driver should remain at the accident scene until investigating officers complete their investigations. Leaving the scene illegally has serious consequences, including long jail time or hefty fines, depending on the charges leveled against you. However, the law gives you the right to defend yourself to prove that you didn't speed off because you were guilty. A professional attorney dealing in hit-and-run accidents can defend you in court, getting you an acquittal or a lenient judgment. They may raise the following arguments to defend you against the allegations.

You Didn't Willingly Leave the Scene

You have a right to get immediate medical care after a vehicle collision. Your lawyer can use this argument to defend you for hurriedly leaving the accident scene after the accident. They will get eyewitnesses to testify for you, explaining that you were unconscious after the accident. Then, one of your passengers rushed you to the hospital with your vehicle. In this case, your legal advisor will acknowledge that a hit-and-run occurred, but you didn't willingly leave the scene. Therefore, they can request the court to drop your charges, arguing that you didn't speed off to escape judgment.

You Didn't Know There Were Casualties or Damages

Your lawyer may also argue that you left the accident scene before investigators arrived because you thought there were no casualties or damages. Your attorney will claim that you were involved in a minor crash that may not have caused significant damage. They might even use video evidence showing you and the other driver stopping, but neither of you noticed any damage. Your attorney will argue that you should not be charged for hit-and-run because the other driver had given you clearance for any wrongdoing.  

The judge might also drop your charges if your lawyer proves that you didn't realize that there were casualties in the accident. For example, they might claim that you bumped into another vehicle, but the driver and their passengers said they were okay. 

There are cases where one of the passengers from the other car started exhibiting injury signs several days later, and a medical examination proved that they sustained the injury in the crash. In such a situation, you can argue that you didn't know the victim's condition because they did not show physical injuries immediately after the crash.

As is evident above, there are many defenses your hit-and-run lawyer can use to defend you for leaving the accident scene illegally. They will choose the arguments to use depending on the facts of your case. Your legal advisor will then gather evidence to support your argument, convincing the court that you had no hidden motive for refusing to stop at the accident scene.