Gainesville Hit & Run Attorneys
A hit and run crash occurs when one driver hits another on the road and, instead of remaining at the scene as the law requires, they flee. If you have been hurt by a hit and run driver, you may be entitled to recover significant compensation. For accident victims filing a claim for the first time, the issues involving an accident with a hit and run driver are particularly daunting. A Gainesville hit and run attorney can help you make sense of this difficult time, and outline your options for claiming damages.
Our Attorney Can Help You Obtain Coverage from Your Own Insurance Company
Under Florida’s no-fault auto insurance laws, you likely must try and collect benefits from your own insurance company first, before even trying to collect from the at-fault driver. The two types of coverage you can likely recover compensation from are your personal injury protection (PIP) coverage and any uninsured motorist (UM) coverage you purchased when first taking out your policy.
It is important to note that Florida law requires insurance companies to allow you to stack certain types of insurance policies. For example, if you have several vehicles, you have purchased UM coverage, and your policy allows stacking, you can combine the limits of each policy and recover even more compensation after a hit and run crash.
Our Attorney Can Help You Obtain Coverage from a Third Party
A third party claim is one that allows you to recover compensation from other people, such as another driver, a manufacturer of a defective product, or even a government agency. In hit and run crashes, claims are typically filed against the negligent driver. Even if the negligent driver fled the scene, you may still be able to identify them using different methods.
It is important to try and identify the driver, or their vehicle, at the accident scene. Try to get a physical description of the driver, or the make, model, or color of their vehicle. Even a partial license plate number can greatly help when trying to identify the hit and run driver. There is no need to panic if you did not get any description of the driver or vehicle at the accident scene. A Gainesville hit and run crashes attorney will obtain video surveillance footage, witness statements, and police reports that can help identify the hit and run driver.
Our Attorney Can Help with the Unique Issues in Hit and Run Claims
Hit and run accidents present many unique legal issues, including:
- Identifying the hit and run driver: Unlike in other accident cases, one of the first steps after a hit and run crash is identifying the driver that fled the scene.
- Fleeing the scene does not indicate fault: Leaving the scene of a crash and acting negligently are two separate legal issues. Just because a driver left the scene of the accident does not mean they were to blame for the crash.
- Punitive damages: Punitive damages are rarely awarded in car accident cases, but they are much more likely to be awarded after a hit and run crash.
It is critical to work with an attorney that can overcome these challenges and help you recover the fair compensation you deserve.
Call Our Gainesville Hit and Run Attorneys Now
If you have been injured by a negligent driver that fled the scene of your accident, our Gainesville hit and run attorney at Meldon Law is here to help. Call us today at 800-373-8000 or fill out our online form to schedule a free consultation.
