/EINPresswire.com/ Recently, the Pennsylvania legislature passed legislation strengthening the penalties for drivers who are involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident.
The Philadelphia car accident lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., are dedicated to helping the victims of car accidents, and as such, feel it is important to discuss important new laws in the state. Recently, the Pennsylvania legislature passed legislation strengthening the penalties for drivers who are involved in a fatal hit-and-run accident. The new law increases the maximum penalty for those who commit this crime to ten years imprisonment, rather than the previous limit of seven years. Furthermore, the offense is now classified as a second-degree felony, upgraded from its previous status as a third-degree felony.
This new legislation has emerged in response to a number of high-profile cases in Pennsylvania in recent years involving runners and cyclists who were fatally struck by motorists and left to die. According to statistics compiled by the state, these types of accidents account for nearly 1 percent of traffic fatalities and injuries in the state annually, a significant number considering that the state experiences more than 80,000 motor vehicle accidents resulting in injury or fatality each year.
As these statistics demonstrate, hit-and-run accidents are a serious problem in the state of Pennsylvania. Most of these accidents, however, are not fatal. Nevertheless, the impact that a pedestrian or cyclist may absorb from a moving vehicle can have disastrous consequences for their life, potentially leaving them permanently disabled and struggling to cope with costly medical bills and lost income.
For this reason, those who have suffered injuries in a hit-and-run accident are entitled to pursue compensation from the individual responsible for their injuries and other losses, above and beyond any criminal penalties which may be issued. The Philadelphia car accident attorneys of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., are prepared to offer their assistance to any individual who has been injured in a hit-and-run accident to seek legal remedy for the consequences they may have suffered.
Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C., is a personal injury law firm based in Pennsylvania, with offices in Philadelphia, New Jersey, and New York. To learn more about the firm and the services they offer, call 215-238-1130.
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Lowenthal & Abrams
Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C.
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http://www.caraccidentattorneysphiladelphia.com
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