Hit-and-run accidents resulting in only property damage

Hit-and-run accident resulting in property damages

If a driver hits some object by a car and runs away, it's a violation of the Road Traffic Act (Failure to report an accident). In most cases, this violation does not lead to arrest. Also, the criminal charge of "damage to property" does not apply to it because the criminal charge only applies to a case where someone intentionally damages an object. As you can see in the article of three liabilities traffic accident perpetrator carries, at-fault drivers carry criminal responsibility, administrative responsibility, and civil responsibility. In most of the cases, at-fault drivers in a hit-and-run case resulting in only property damage will be subject to only administrative punishment.

Administrative punishment

Administrative punishment for the at-fault driver will be as follows:

"Violation of Danger Prevention in Cases of Property Damage Traffic Accidents (hit and run): 5 additional points".

Property damage is considered to be induced by other violations that have other administrative charges, for example, violation of safe driving obligation. The violation of a safe driving obligation incurs two points. So, in most of the cases, two points for the violation of safe driving obligation and five additional points for the violation of danger prevention in cases of property damage traffic accidents are added to the at-fault driver. However, if the property damage is menial and both parties in the accident agree on settling the case between them, these administrative charges will not be imposed to the at-fault driver.

How police handle hit-and-run cases (If property damage only)

In a hit-and-run case where someone is injured or dead, the victim is considered to be a victim of negligent driving resulting in injuries or death and dangerous driving, resulting in injuries or death. In addition to these charges, the at-fault driver is considered to have violated the duty of assisting people in danger. So, the police start a serious investigation and try hard to find the at-fault driver. However, in a hit-and-run case resulting in only property damages, there is no victim. There is no law punishing the at-fault driver unintentionally causing property damages. So, the police tend not to try hard to find the at-fault driver. Although the at-fault driver has legal duty to compensate for the property damage, police don't intervene in a settlement between the at-fault driver and the owner of the property, complying with the principle that police stay out of civil disputes.