Leaving the Scene of an Accident is a serious offense in New Jersey.  The distinction is whether the accident caused personal injury (up to $5000, up to 180 days jail, and one year loss of license) and property damage (up to $800, up to 30 days in jail, and 180 days loss of license).  It is for this reason that we highly recommend you call the police after evert accident.  What sometimes happens after an accident, someone goes home calls their insurance company who will advise them they must have a police report in order to file a claim.  Once this individual calls the police, you will be charged with fleeing the scene of the accident and failure to report an accident (like a parking ticket, this charge has no collateral consequences).

We order discovery, review any statements and the police reports, and discuss the matter with the witnesses and the police officer.  Often the witnesses will not appear in court, which means the State will have difficulty proving its case.  The consequences for this violation can be more severe than a DUI. We take this charges seriously and suggest you do to.