Q: Hit and run accident
Someone hit my car and ran. The police found him and his insurance paid for all the repairs. But now the state is asking me to appear in court. Im guessing to sue him for leaving the scene? So my question is, why should i go? Will i be getting money out of this by the court? If not, i just wont go. Its a waste of my time.
A:
Anytime someone receives a subpoena to appear as a witness it is a court order and must be obeyed. Violating a court order can result in penalties, including a charge of contempt and/or jail time.
More directly to a specific case a witness may ask the attorney who is calling as a witness the reasons why.
If your question were answered on a philosophical basis one might point out that all of us expect the legal system to operate if we need help. For instance, if someone assaults us and we seek compensation, we expect that fact witnesses would show up to testify so that we could get the compensation we "deserve." Or if someone charges us with a crime we did not commit we would hope that witnesses would show up to testify truthfully that we were somewhere else. Our judicial system and indeed our society as a whole is based on the premise that citizens will cooperate with the administration of justice, whether or not there is any immediate monetary gain for them to do so.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
