Posted By Legal Team|
October 10 2023 |Car Accidents
It can be incredibly challenging to know what to do if you are involved in an accident where the other driver flees the scene. A person who leaves the scene of an accident could face serious criminal charges, but this does not necessarily help a victim who sustains injuries or property damage due to the negligent driver. Here, we want to discuss steps that you should take after being involved in a hit-and-run accident in Florida.
1. Seek Medical Care
The number one priority for any hit-and-run accident victim in Florida is seeking medical care. Often, the signs and symptoms of an injury do not show up right away at the scene of the incident, usually due to adrenaline. However, prompt medical care can help identify any unseen injuries, and it can also help establish a solid timeline between the hit-and-run accident and any injuries that do arise in the aftermath.
2. Report the Incident
It is imperative for law enforcement officials to come to the scene of any hit-and-run accident that occurs in Florida. The police should be the entities searching for the hit-and-run driver, and they can also fill out an accident report that will be needed for compensation recovery in the future.
3. Call Your Insurance Carrier
Hit-and-run accident victims should report the incident to their insurance carrier as promptly as possible. Nearly every insurance carrier makes it easy to report an incident either through the online app, over the phone, or on a regular computer.
We do want to point out that you do not need to go into much detail when you make your initial claim with the insurance carrier. At this point, you will not know the extent of your medical care needed, nor will you know the level of property damage to your vehicle. However, because Florida is a no-fault auto insurance state, individuals will typically recover compensation from their own insurance carrier after a hit-and-run accident.
There are ways to step outside of the no-fault insurance system and file a claim against an alleged negligent driver, but there are various thresholds that must be met before this can happen. Additionally, this also assumes that the hit-and-run driver is located and has the assets to file a claim against. When you work with a skilled hit-and-run accident lawyer, you will have an advocate ready to assist you with all possible routes of recovering compensation.
4. Contact an Attorney
A skilled St. Petersburg car accident attorney is imperative after a complex vehicle accident occurs. Hit-and-run accidents can be challenging, particularly when dealing with aggressive insurance carriers. If the hit-and-run driver is caught and the claim reaches above no-fault insurance thresholds, an attorney can help an individual file a personal injury lawsuit against the other party involved.
5. Continue Medical Treatments
Hit-and-run accident victims should continue any medical treatment recommended by their doctor. Any early discontinuation of care against medical advice could jeopardize how much compensation a person receives from the insurance carrier or another party. If you have questions about filing a claim for compensation, contact our lawyers today.
