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Leaving the scene allegations can range from property-damage accusations to serious injury or fatal crash investigations. These cases often turn on identity, knowledge, accident reporting, injury proof, and what the driver did or did not know at the time.
Lebedin Kofman LLP defends clients accused of leaving the scene in New York City, Nassau County, Suffolk County, and Long Island. The firm works quickly to protect the client before police, insurance companies, or witnesses lock in a one-sided version of events.
What Is at Stake
A leaving-the-scene case can involve criminal charges, license consequences, insurance problems, civil exposure, employment consequences, immigration issues, and serious penalties if injury or death is alleged. Early legal guidance is especially important before making statements.
Issues That Need Immediate Review
- Whether prosecutors can prove the client was the driver
- Whether the client knew or had reason to know an accident occurred
- Whether injury, death, or property damage was legally established
- Whether the client provided information or reported the incident as required
- Whether identification evidence, vehicle damage, or witness statements are reliable
- Whether the case overlaps with DWI, reckless driving, AUO, or vehicular assault allegations
Evidence We Work to Preserve
- Accident reports, 911 calls, body camera footage, and officer notes
- Vehicle damage photos, repair records, tow records, and insurance communications
- Surveillance video, traffic camera footage, dash camera footage, and nearby business video
- Witness statements, plate-reader data, phone records, GPS, and location history
- Medical records, property damage estimates, and injury documentation
- Messages, calls, reporting attempts, and evidence of what the driver knew
Defense Strategies We Evaluate
- No proof the client was driving
- No knowledge of impact, injury, or damage
- Accident was reported or information was exchanged as required
- Witness or identification evidence is unreliable
- Damage or injury claim is overstated or unrelated
- Statement suppression, negotiation, dismissal, reduction, trial, or mitigation strategy
New York City, Nassau County, and Suffolk County Strategy
Leaving-the-scene cases in NYC and Long Island may involve police follow-up calls, insurance claims, body camera footage, local crash investigation units, and DMV consequences. A defense lawyer can help decide how to respond without creating new problems.
How Lebedin Kofman LLP Helps
The firm reviews the criminal charge, DMV and license exposure, crash evidence, chemical testing, medical records, witness issues, insurance communications, and collateral consequences. The defense may involve emergency evidence preservation, negotiations, suppression motions, accident reconstruction review, expert consultation, hearings, trial preparation, mitigation, or sentencing advocacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I talk to insurance or investigators after a crash?
Not about the facts of a criminal or potentially criminal allegation before speaking with a defense attorney. Statements to police, prosecutors, insurers, employers, or investigators can affect the criminal case, DMV issues, civil exposure, and license consequences.
Can accident evidence change the outcome?
Yes. Video, event data, vehicle damage, roadway conditions, toxicology, medical causation, witness reliability, phone records, and reconstruction evidence can change how prosecutors view the case and whether the required elements can be proven.
Related DWI, Vehicular, and Criminal Defense Pages
- New York DWI / DUI Lawyer
- Suffolk County DWI Lawyer
- Nassau County DWI Lawyer
- Felony DWI Lawyer
- Refusal DWI and DMV Hearings
- Reckless Driving Lawyer
- Vehicular Assault Lawyer
- Vehicular Manslaughter Lawyer
Request a free consultation if you were arrested, contacted by police, received crash-related paperwork, face a license issue, or believe a serious driving investigation is underway.