Failure to Remain at the Scene
Every driver on the road in Ontario has a duty to remain at the scene when an accident occurs. The requirement to remain at the scene stems from the notion that insurance policies should be exchanged by the parties as well as to ensure that there were no injuries sustained due to the accident. Furthermore, depending on the seriousness of the accident, the police are called in which they need to speak to everyone involved in the accident so that they are able to create a report as to what happened. If one of the parties involved does not remain, this makes it difficult for the police to obtain a clear recollection of the events that occurred prior to the accident.
Drivers who have been involved in a accident are required to:
- Remain at the scene.
- Offer as much assistance as possible to other parties involved as well as to police officers who may be present.
- Give driver license, insurance policy and any other required information to police or to the party involved in the accident.
- If there is more than $1000 damage, the accident must be reported to police immediately.
The penalty for failing to remain at the scene of an accident is:
- 7 demerit points.
- Possible license suspension for up to 2 years.
- Imprisonment for no more than 6 months.
- And a fine between $400 and $2000.
Our office defends these charges on a continuous basis. No charge is too difficult for our Lawyers and Paralegals to defend. If you are facing a charge for failure to remain or failure to report an accident, we strongly suggest phoning our office today. Our employees have the skill set to assist you in everything possible to either have these charges withdrawn or to reduce these charges to a minor offence which will have a lower impact on your drivers license as well as insurance. We strongly advise that no one should ever plead guilty to these type of offences. There is usually something that can be done to avoid the penalties associated with these charges.
