According to KLTV a man was injured when his motorcycle was struck by an SUV and then drove off in Tyler Texas. The incident occurred Thursday morning November 3 when 63-year-old Jimmy Lee was struck in north Tyler. Several people witnessed the event but as of yet the driver of the SUV has not been caught. Tyler police believe the vehicle in question is a dark blue or black Suburban or Yukon which they suspect has damage to the front end.
Site of the Accident
View Larger Map
Commentary
Hit-and-run drivers particularly annoy me as not only do they interfere with an investigation but they also extend the amount of time it takes for closure. Once the Tyler police find the driver (and they will) a third party examination of the incident should be used to gain an understanding of the potential remedies available.
In a personal injury claim recovery is not as simple as pinning fault to another party and then getting compensated. In actuality personal injury is a step-by-step process that must be handled carefully to be successful. Since the burden of proof is on the plaintiff a victim is tasked with providing evidence against a defendant to be compensated. A claim must first prove that the defendant had a duty to (in this matter) operate their vehicle in a certain way regarding safety. Then a breach of this duty must be established by the evidence mentioned before. This aspect of the claim is why I typically mention a separate investigation as this is very fact-dependent. From there a damages determination must be made from the resulting injuries medical bills rehabilitation etc. Without any of these key pieces a claim typically does not have standing.
Tyler Automobile Accident Attorney Michael Grossman