Hit and Run in Florida: What to Do

The first hour: at the scene

• Call 911. Get medical help. Get a police report number.
• Photograph everything: your vehicle, paint transfer or scrapes, debris on the road, skid marks, the surrounding scene.
• Note any partial license plate, vehicle make and color, and direction of travel.
• Get names and phone numbers from any witnesses. They will leave.

The first 48 hours: finding the driver

Time is the enemy. The driver is hiding evidence: damage to the fleeing vehicle, an empty bottle, an expired license. Each hour that passes makes identification harder.

Knock on nearby doors. Many homes and businesses now have Ring doorbells, security cameras, or dashcams. Neighbors may have footage. Ask. Save what you find.

Check for traffic cameras and DOT cameras at nearby intersections. Some agencies retain footage on rolling 30 to 90 day windows. The lawyer's preservation letter goes out this week, not next month.

UM corroboration

UM coverage stands in for the missing driver. But carriers often require corroboration of the hit-and-run before paying. Corroboration may include:

• An independent witness who saw the crash.
• Physical contact between the fleeing vehicle and the plaintiff's vehicle (paint transfer, debris, damage patterns).
• A police investigation that documents the hit-and-run.

Without corroboration, the "phantom vehicle" claim is vulnerable to denial. Document everything that ties the crash to a vehicle that left the scene.

The criminal case

The State investigates the criminal violation under section 316.027. The civil case does not depend on a conviction. UM coverage runs whether or not the State ever files charges.

If the driver is identified and the State prosecutes, a conviction is admissible in the related civil case as evidence of the driver's identity and conduct. Restitution orders in the criminal case do not foreclose the civil claim, but they may be credited against any civil recovery.

PIP and the 14-day rule still apply

The 14-day PIP medical-treatment rule under section 627.736 applies whether or not the at-fault driver was identified. See a doctor in the first 72 hours.