Joseph Rose writes a traffic and commuter column for the Oregonian, and for what seems to be a mundane subject, Rose does an excellent job of exploring the issues that matter to us on a daily basis. My commute is five minutes, tops, but many folks spend a good chunk of their day getting from here to there, and Rose talks about the issues that affect that part of our daily lives.
People get hurt moving about, whether by bike, car, or on foot, and today's column shocked me. Over five thousand reports of a hit and run occur in Portland every year, which includes everything from the fender bender to the serious injury collision. Rose calls it an epidemic, and he is correct.
Rose also points out that the penalties for the hit and run offense are too lax, and if anything, encourage people to leave the scene, especially the drunk driver. Recent legislation has increased the license suspension time for a hit and run offender, but Oregon legislators are apparently concerned about the increased cost of enforcement.
Rose suggests doubling the statute of limitations, which is the time limit for prosecuting such offenses. Other states, including California, and even Texas, have toughened their hit and run laws. Oregon should follow.
We have represented many clients injured by uninsured motorists. A hit and run victim, and a victim of an injury from a "phantom motorists" are special kinds of uninsured motorist claims, but there are more strict requirements in making these kinds of claims.
If you have a question about a hit and run injury claim, call us at 503-325-8600. We can help you protect your claim, and let you how these things work.
