Hit and Run Accidents

According to the National Highway Safety Administration, nearly 700,000 hit and run accident cases are reported each year in the United States. Hit and run accidents account for almost 11% of all vehicle accidents. Florida ranks third in the nation in the amount of hit and run accidents with nearly 3,300 occurring annually.

Under Florida law, a driver of a vehicle involved in an accident must stop and remain at the scene of the accident. Failure to do so may lead to criminal felony charges, revocation of their driver’s license, and/or court ordered community service.

If you are involved in a hit and run accident, there are several steps you can take to protect your interests:

Immediately call the police to the scene and have a police report drawn up.Assess your injuries as well as your passenger’s injuries to determine whether immediate medical attention is necessary.

Provide the police with a detailed description of the vehicle and any other information you recall about the driver. Make sure all of this information is included in the police report.Document the accident with photographs.

Collect contact information from any witnesses present.Write down a detailed account of the accident and the circumstances immediately before and immediately after the accident. You will have to tell the story several times and it will be helpful to have something to refer back too.Report the accident to your insurance company immediately.

Contact an attorney to make sure your legal rights are protected.

If you experience damages, losses, or injuries as a result of the hit and run accident, you may or may not be covered by your insurance company. If you have elected to have uninsured motorist coverage in your insurance policy, you may be able to recover from your own insurance company for any damages suffered.

For more information on the contents of this article or any other question you may have, please schedule your free consultation.