Florida state law requires every motor vehicle driver involved in a traffic accident to stop at the scene, render aid to anyone who needs it, and exchange personal identification and insurance information with everyone else involved. If an accident results in bodily harm, this information must also be reported to the police. Failing to comply with any of these requirements can result in serious criminal charges for a “hit-and-run.” Unfortunately, that does not always stop irresponsible drivers from fleeing the scene of wrecks.
When you are involved in a motor vehicle crash where the at-fault driver left without identifying themselves, you may have a particularly complex recovery process ahead of you. A Wellington hit-and-run accident lawyer could provide vital assistance with exploring your options for securing financial compensation. Even if police do not ultimately find the driver who hit you, your dedicated auto accident attorney could still help you make the most of all available insurance coverage and minimize the impact this wreck has on your life in the long term.
Even if someone else is clearly to blame for causing an accident, Florida’s “no-fault” auto insurance rules still require anyone injured in that wreck to seek financial recovery through their own insurance company for medical bills while also proceeding against the at fault party.. The minimum insurance requirements set out for all Florida drivers by state law include Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage, which should cover at least 80% of all accident-related medical bills, 60% of lost wages during recovery from those injuries, and up to $5,000 of death benefits for family members in the event a crash has fatal consequences.
It can also be vital in these situations to take advantage of uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM) coverage. This type of coverage must be purchased before a hit-and-run crash actually occurs, but if police cannot track down the driver in question, UM may be an injured person’s only means of seeking additional recovery. A seasoned Wellington hit-and-run accident attorney could help injured parties explore their options for pursuing financial recovery in the most effective way possible.
It is worth reiterating that it is the police’s job to find and pursue criminal charges against hit-and-run drivers, not the job of anyone injured in the wreck. That said, there are some things an individual injured person can do after these types of incidents to assist with the identification process as well as with building a potential future lawsuit, such as:
This information can be just as important to a Wellington accident lawyer trying to establish civil fault as it can be to police officers trying to find the person who committed the hit-and-run.
Leaving the scene of a vehicle wreck can lead to substantial criminal penalties as well as civil liability for injuries caused by that crash. As any experienced legal professional could tell you, recovering fairly after this kind of incident is no simple matter, especially for plaintiffs without trusted legal representation.
A Wellington hit-and-run accident lawyer could be your ally from beginning to end of your claim, exhausting every possible option for securing the compensation you deserve. Call Aronberg & Aronberg, Injury Law Firm, today to learn more.
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