Far too many families struggle from the emotional and financial burden that a hit-and-run accident may cause a family. I’ve talked with loved ones who have no idea how to recover emotionally or financially from the long-lasting effects that a tragedy such as this may cause. Crash data from a three-year period shows the number of fatal hit and run accidents in Arkansas is rising at roughly 4.5% every year. Just last month a 27-year-old woman and an elderly man were killed on Interstate 40 just south of Little Rock, Arkansas after a hit and run driver left the woman’s car disabled on the roadway.
At-fault individuals caught by police face serious jail time, but as anyone who has lived through a hit and run accident in Arkansas will tell you, seeing that the other driver is punished often takes a back seat to simply surviving the immediate aftermath of a crash. The pain and suffering (both physical and emotional) can be tremendous, but victims also have to cope with the financial strain a careless person’s actions have forced on their family. That burden may not be as heavy as the fear and anxiety experienced in the first few days after a collision, but it can be significant and have devastating and lasting effects of its own.
The True Cost of Auto Accidents in Arkansas
Car accidents in Arkansas cost families hundreds of thousands of dollars. Medical bills, legal expenses, lost wages, increased insurance premiums—it all adds up and can leave victims financially devastated even after they recover physically. Just how much of an impact could a crash have on your well-being?
The average cost of just one day in a hospital in Arkansas can be as high as $1,700 without any additional testing or treatments. Even something as simple as mending a broken bone can cost $2,500 or more without insurance. Severe injuries (like head trauma or spinal injuries) can put victims in debt forever with lifetime expenses running between $600,000 and $1.8 million.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, fatal accidents can cost upwards of $433 million statewide.
What Families Can Do to Protect Themselves
Regardless of whether a reckless driver is charged with a crime after a hit and run accident in Arkansas, victims have the right to seek financial compensation. This may mean settling with the driver’s insurance company, filing a lawsuit, or even pursuing the matter further and taking the at-fault party to court. Most hit-and-run accidents are settled out of court.
It’s absolutely essential that victims and their families have the best hit and run accident lawyer in Arkansas on their side. The legal professionals at the Pfeifer Law Firm have helped victims get the support they need to get back on their feet as soon as possible and minimize the financial impact of hit and run accidents across Arkansas.
Call 501-374-4440 to schedule your free consultation today or contact us online to get your recovery started right now. After-hour appointments and weekend appointments with an experienced attorney are available upon request.