Man killed by hit-and-run driver

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A 27-year-old man in New Jersey faces aggravated charges now that the victim of a hit and run has passed away. The incident occurred on Aug. 15 in Ramsey. The 55-year-old male victim was airlifted to the Westchester Medical Center for a fractured pelvis, brain bleeding and a fractured skull. The accused was arrested on Aug. 17 after police received a description of his vehicle with damage allegedly consistent with a pedestrian accident parked at a complex in Mahwah. Officers discovered that the man's Lincoln matched broken fragments left at the crime scene. He was arrested and charged with driving on a suspended license and leaving the scene of an accident. Local reports claim the man's license was suspended in 2013 for having no insurance and was suspended once more because he did not go to court. Once the victim passed away on Aug. 25, the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office issued new charges against the accused, including a third-degree offense of causing a fatal accident with a suspended license and a second-degree offense of leaving the scene of a fatal accident. The criminal charges in this case may help the plaintiffs prove that the defendant is liable for the damages caused by their relative's sudden death. The victim's surviving relatives may benefit from consulting a lawyer about filing a wrongful death claim against the driver. Victims of car accidents are often able to seek restitution to help account for economic and noneconomic damages that may include medical expenses, funeral and burial costs, loss of income, repair costs or other related damages. In order to obtain compensation, lawyers often focus on proving that the accident was caused by the defendant's driver negligence. Violating traffic laws, driving recklessly, distracted driving and speeding are all common infractions that might be evidence of negligence in car accident cases. Source: NorthJersey.com, "Mahwah man faces new charges after Ramsey hit-and-run victim dies", Abbott Koloff, August 25, 2014