Hit and Run Accidents

You’re stuck in traffic and all of a sudden you feel a jolt and you’ve just been rear-ended. As you pull over on the side of the road to assess the damages you notice the driver at fault take off. All of sudden you realize you are left confused and with a dented bumper. You’re probably wondering what to do. Do you report it to your insurance company? Do you report it to the police, or do you just fix it yourself? If it is or is possible, try and take down the license plate number of the other car at fault.

There are a few steps you can take after being involved in a hit and run. Visiting a collision report center regardless of the damage can help. Some insurance companies require that any hit and run damage be reported to the police within the first 24 hours in order to be considered “not at fault”. Otherwise it’ll be considered a chargeable loss.

Whenever the driver at fault cannot be identified, the claim will be paid from the collision section under the collision section of your automobile insurance policy. Most hit and run drivers are rarely caught.

If you notice cameras around the area ask business owners to check their video footage. Security surveillance may have recorded an image of the car and important information. Be persistent and if you’re able to record their license plate number you can trace the owner through the department of motor vehicles.

When it comes to recognizing the hit and run driver the police are supposed to provide assistance. In theory it sounds great, but the police usually regard a low case priority to them. They are often sent to the CAPERS (Crime against person) division.

If you are ever involved in a hit and run try and identify the other driver, most importantly their license plate number. Eyewitness identification is sometimes powerful evidence. If somewhere nearby witnessed the accident ask around to see if maybe they noticed something important you didn’t. A description of the car and the driver can help.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car crash or truck accident and are in need of an accident attorney in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, Naples, Ocala, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Ft. Myers or any other city in Florida –remember after 911, call 411! 1-800-411-PAIN can put you in touch with an experienced, aggressive network attorney who will fight for your rights and get the maximum compensation you deserve. Don’t forget to follow 411 PAIN on Twitter (@411PAIN), keep up with the conversation at #411PAIN and check out the 411 PAIN event gallery 411painevents.com!