Long Island Hit and Run Defense Lawyer Defending Clients Accused of Leaving An Accident Scene in Nassau County
If you are involved in a car accident, it’s in your best interest to remain at the scene. If you fail to stay, you could be accused of leaving the scene of an accident without reporting it.
The act of leaving the scene of an accident without reporting it is often referred to as a hit and run. If you are accused of committing a hit and run, it’s important to contact an experienced criminal defense attorney right away. Gianni Karmily has helped countless clients fight hit and run charges on Long Island. Contact Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC at once to discuss your legal options.
What Are Drivers Required to Do After A Car Accident?
The law requires every driver to follow certain rules immediately following a car accident. If you are involved in an accident, you are legally required to stop at the scene. The law also requires drivers to show their insurance card and driver’s license to the other parties involved in the accident. Drivers must also provide the other parties with their name and address before leaving the scene.
If the other parties are not present, for example, if you hit a parked car with no one inside, you are still required to provide this information. In this case, you would need to report the accident to the police and give them your information instead.
What is Considered a Hit and Run in New York?
A hit and run, legally called “leaving the scene of an incident” under New York Vehicle and Traffic Law §600, occurs when a driver involved in a crash fails to stop, exchange identification and insurance information, or report the incident to police when required. The law applies whether the accident involves property damage, personal injury, or death, and drivers must remain at the scene and provide identifying information.
What Are the Hit and Run Laws in Nassau County and Throughout Long Island?
Failing to fulfill your legal obligations after a car accident could lead to serious consequences. This is true regardless of whether or not someone was injured in the accident. The severity of the accident does not matter—if you were involved in an accident, you are required to fulfill your legal obligations.
Is Leaving the Scene of An Accident A Traffic Violation or Crime?
There are two types of hit and run offenses in New York as defined in New York Penal Law Section 600. The first is leaving the scene of an accident with property damage, but no injuries. This offense is a traffic infraction, not a crime.
The second hit and run offense is leaving the scene of an accident with injuries. If someone was injured in the accident and you refuse to exchange your information at the scene, you will be charged with a class B misdemeanor. This is true even if you stopped at the scene—if you refuse to provide your information, you will face charges. If you are a repeat offender, this criminal charge will become a class A misdemeanor.
If you are involved in an accident with injuries and do not stop at the scene whatsoever, you can face class A misdemeanor charges. If you are a repeat offender, the charge is increased to a class E felony.
You will face more serious criminal charges if the accident involved serious injuries or fatalities. If you fail to stop at an accident that caused serious injuries, you will be charged with a class E felony. If you refuse to stop after a fatal accident, you can face class D felony charges.
What Are the Penalties For Leaving the Scene of An Accident in New York?
The penalties will vary depending on the severity of the accident. If the accident caused property damage but no injuries, this traffic infraction is punishable by up to 15 days in jail and $250 in fines.
Refusing to exchange your information after an accident involving injuries, which is a class B misdemeanor, can lead to up to three months in jail and $500 in fines. Refusing to stop at the scene of an accident involving injuries, which is a class A misdemeanor, is punishable by up to one year in jail and $1,000 in fines.
Hit and run crimes involving serious injuries are class E felonies, which carry a maximum of four years in prison. The most serious hit and run offense, which involves fatalities, is a class D felony that carries a maximum of seven years in prison.
Hit and run charges should not be taken lightly. Leaving the scene of an accident can lead to incarceration, which is why you will need to fight the charges with the help of hit and run lawyer Gianni Karmily.
Can you go to Jail for a Hit and Run on Long Island?
Yes. A conviction for leaving the scene of an accident involving injury can lead to jail or prison time in New York. Depending on the severity of the incident, penalties may include up to 364 days in jail for misdemeanor charges or multiple years in state prison for felony cases involving serious injury or death.
Will I Lose my Driver’s License for a Hit and Run?
A conviction for leaving the scene of an accident can result in points on your driving record, license suspension, and license revocation. In cases involving injuries, drivers may face license revocation for up to a year or longer, along with fines and other penalties.
What should I do if I am accused of a hit and run?
If you are accused of a hit and run or leaving the scene of an accident, it is important to protect your legal rights. Recommended steps include:
- Do not discuss the incident with the police without a lawyer present
- Avoid making statements that could be used against you
- Preserve any evidence or information related to the incident
- Contact an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately
How do I Find a Hit-and-Run Lawyer Near Me?
To find a hit and run lawyer near you, search for a criminal defense or traffic offense attorney experienced with leaving-the-scene cases in your area. Review law firm websites, client reviews, and case experience, confirm the attorney handles New York traffic crimes and Vehicle and Traffic Law cases, and schedule a case evaluation to discuss your charges and possible defenses.
How Much Do Nassau County Hit and Run Defense Attorneys Cost?
One of the first questions that may cross your mind is, “How much will a Hit and Run defense lawyer cost?” The answer to this question can vary depending on a number of factors, including the complexity of the case, the severity of the criminal charges, and the attorney’s experience in criminal law.
More complex cases involving serious crimes will require more of your attorney’s time, which means these cases will typically cost more than less serious offenses.
Hit and Run defense attorneys usually charge flat fees for their legal services. Most attorneys charge a flat fee to handle pre-litigation matters and another flat fee if the case goes to hearings or trial.
Nassau County, Long Island, NY, is not the place to “Price Shop” for a Hit and Run defense attorney. If you do that, you risk making a life-altering mistake that will haunt you forever. If a law firm charges less, always ask yourself the reason why they are a “Budget” law firm.
4 Reasons You Should Hire The Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC As Your Nassau County Hit and Run Defense Attorney
1) LIFELONG HIT AND RUN DEFENSE ATTORNEY
Gianni Karmily is a lifelong hit and run defense attorney serving Nassau County, Long Island, New York. His legal career has been dedicated to defending individuals accused of crimes and protecting the rights of people facing hit and run prosecution.
Unlike attorneys who begin their careers representing the government before transitioning into private hit and run defense, Gianni Karmily has developed his professional experience from the hit and run defense side of the justice system. His defense experience began before he became an attorney. While attending law school, Gianni served as an intern for the Public Defender’s Office at the Legal Aid and Defender Association in Detroit, Michigan, gaining firsthand experience defending individuals accused of hit and run offenses.
After returning to Nassau County, Long Island, New York, Gianni dedicated his practice to hit and run defense litigation and the representation of individuals facing hit and run charges. His practice encompasses the defense of individuals accused of a broad range of hit and run offenses, including DWI and DUI-related offenses, hit and run, assault, domestic violence, larceny, theft, drug crimes, weapons offenses, traffic-related crimes, white-collar crimes, and other misdemeanor and felony charges.
Gianni’s practice is centered on New York hit and run defense, New York Penal Law, Vehicle & Traffic Law, Hit and Run Procedure Law, constitutional advocacy, hit and run litigation, and protecting the rights of the accused. His defense-focused experience provides an operational perspective on hit and run cases that is centered on identifying weaknesses in the government’s case, challenging evidence, examining investigative procedures, and determining whether constitutional or procedural issues may affect the prosecution.
Depending on the circumstances of a particular case, hit and run defense representation may involve Fourth Amendment issues, search and seizure, suppression motions, unlawful searches, unlawful stops, probable cause, evidentiary challenges, procedural violations, constitutional defenses, and challenges to the sufficiency of the government’s evidence.
There may be a distinct advantage to an attorney you hire who has not been on the prosecution side because they have a totally different mindset not susceptible to institutional bias, which could make you subconsciously conditioned to think in a certain way and accept certain things that could put your client in peril.
A lifelong hit and run defense attorney develops what can be described as aggressive skepticism—an active approach to questioning allegations, scrutinizing evidence, challenging assumptions, examining police and investigative procedures, and determining whether the prosecution can establish every element required to prove the charged offense. Overall, the ability to challenge authority and the hit and run justice system as a whole is a core component that distinguishes hit and run defense attorneys who have practiced exclusively on the defense side from those who spent part of their careers doing the opposite—prosecuting cases and putting people in jail.
With more than 10 years of exclusive hit and run defense experience, the distinction is straightforward: Gianni Karmily is a hit and run defense attorney whose professional identity is built around defending the accused. Hit and Run defense is not a secondary practice area or a recent transition from prosecution to private practice. It is the focus of his legal career.
2) DIRECT ACCESS TO GIANNI KARMILY
Gianni Karmily is the principal attorney of the Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC. Clients facing hit and run charges in Nassau County have direct access to the attorney responsible for their representation.
A hit and run defense case should not be routinely passed from one attorney to another or from one paralegal to another without consistent attorney involvement. Gianni remains directly involved in the important aspects of each representation, including court appearances, case updates, client questions, evaluation of hit and run charges, review of available evidence, and defense strategy.
Direct access means that the attorney defending the case maintains firsthand knowledge of the client’s circumstances, allegations, procedural history, legal issues, and potential defenses.
Gianni also regularly works with other experienced hit and run defense attorneys, legal professionals, investigators, and other experts from different backgrounds when a particular case would benefit from additional experience or specialized knowledge. This allows the firm to maintain direct attorney involvement while also drawing upon additional resources when appropriate.
For individuals accused of a hit and run offense in Nassau County, Long Island, New York, direct communication with the principal attorney is an important part of the hit and run defense process that our firm does not take lightly.
3) LIMIT NUMBER OF CASES
The Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC limits the number of hit and run defense cases it accepts each month so that each client receives individualized attention and Gianni can dedicate the time necessary to develop a thorough defense without cutting any corners.
The firm does not approach hit and run defense as a high-volume process. Each hit and run case requires an examination of its specific facts, allegations, evidence, procedural history, and applicable New York law.
Limiting the number of cases allows Gianni to dedicate adequate time to:
- Understanding the specific circumstances of the client’s case.
- Reviewing the hit and run allegations and available evidence.
- Identifying potential constitutional and procedural issues.
- Evaluating applicable New York hit and run laws.
- Investigating potential defenses.
- Communicating directly with the client.
- Preparing adequately for court appearances.
- Developing an individualized defense strategy.
- Pursuing an appropriate resolution based on the facts and circumstances of the case.
4) OFFICE LOCATED STEPS AWAY FROM THE NASSAU COUNTY COURTHOUSE
The Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC has offices located steps away from the Nassau County Courthouse, placing Gianni Karmily and his hit and run defense practice immediately next to the courthouse where many Nassau County hit and run matters are handled.
For a hit and run defense client, having an attorney’s office steps away from the Nassau County Courthouse provides practical benefits throughout the representation. Hit and Run cases involve arraignments, court appearances, conferences, hearings, motions, plea proceedings, compliance appearances, and trials, depending on the charges and circumstances of the case.
The firm’s proximity makes it convenient for clients to meet directly with hit and run defense attorney Gianni Karmily before or after court proceedings, discuss developments in their case, review important legal issues, and communicate with Gianni when court-related matters arise.
For clients who may have multiple court appearances throughout a hit and run case, having their attorney’s office steps away from the Nassau County Courthouse can also reduce unnecessary travel between the courthouse and their attorney’s office. It provides a convenient, easily accessible location for attorney-client meetings before or after proceedings.
For a person searching for a Nassau County hit and run defense attorney, the combination of a lifelong focus on hit and run defense, direct attorney access, and an office located steps away from the Nassau County Courthouse provides a direct connection between the attorney, the client, and the local court system.
Set Up A Case Evaluation With Our Hit and Run Defense Attorney In Nassau County, Long Island, Today
Have you been charged with leaving the scene of an accident? This is not just a traffic violation—it’s a criminal offense. For this reason, you will need to seek legal representation from experienced hit and run attorney Gianni Karmily as soon as possible. Let Gianni fight to protect your freedom. To schedule a confidential case evaluation with the Law Firm of Gianni Karmily, PLLC, call our Great Neck office at (516) 630-3405 or our Hempstead office at (516) 614-4228.
