What should you do after a hit and run in Florida? Call 911 from the scene and get a police report started, then stay where you are, in a safe spot, instead of chasing the car that left. Photograph your vehicle, the scene, and anything the other car left behind, and get contact details from witnesses before they drive off. Get medical care the same day even if you feel alright. Then look at your own policy, because uninsured motorist coverage is what usually pays when the driver who fled is never identified.
I am Mark Hirsch, and I handle car accident cases in Aventura, Miami, and the rest of South Florida. The call on these is almost always the same: the other car is gone, the police report says unknown driver, and the person on the phone assumes that is the end of it. It usually is not. By the end you will know how to handle the first hour after the crash, which evidence disappears fastest, how uninsured motorist coverage steps in when the driver is gone, and why leaving the scene can add a claim for punitive damages.
Key takeaways
- Florida treats a driver who flees as uninsured, which is why uninsured motorist coverage carries most of these claims.
- Call 911 and get a police report. A hit and run with no report is very hard to prove later.
- Do not chase the other driver. Chasing puts you in more danger and does not help the claim.
- Witnesses often leave before police arrive, so take names and phone numbers first.
- A dash camera is the strongest evidence in these cases, since it can capture the car as it pulls away.
- Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles puts hit and runs at roughly one in four crashes in the state.
First, you should have Uninsured Motorist Coverage if a car hits you and runs away.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage will consider the driver that hits you and runs as uninsured. The same coverage matters when you are hit by an unlicensed driver in Florida, since a driver with no license usually has no insurance either.
Next, if you have a dash camera, you can get pictures of the vehicle during the hit and run.
If the driver hits you and runs away, you can sue them for punitive damages.
Once you are hit, you must call 911 and file a police report.
Do not leave the scene of the accident, but make sure your vehicle is in a safe place.
It is also important that you do not chase the Defendant and place yourself in further danger.
Take pictures of the vehicles, scene, witnesses. Many times witnesses leave the scene before the police arrive, so get their information immediately.
Make sure to seek medical care if you are injured.
Finally, make sure to call an attorney you can trust, Templer & Hirsch has over 30 years of experience, and you can count on us.
We’ve been handling hit and run accidents for over 30 years in Aventura and Miami, Florida.
This is general information, not legal advice; consult an attorney about your situation.