Hit and run victims may be able to seek compensation

Florida law imposes a duty to stop at the scene of an accident and exchange information with the other driver.  If a party appears to be injured, the law imposes an additional duty to render reasonable aid and call for emergency help if necessary.  When a driver leaves the scene without stopping and providing information, and the accident resulted in personal injury or death to another person, the driver has committed a third degree felony, punishable by significant jail time and fines.

Because many hit and run drivers flee the scene for fear of being caught driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, criminal proceedings often accompany a civil law suit. The injuries suffered by victims of these accidents are often severe, life-altering and even fatal.

However, even hit and run victims may be able to seek compensation for injuries, pain and suffering, medical bills and lost wages.  Accident victims with uninsured motorist coverage may be able to make a claim under their own insurance policy. If the hit and run driver was driving a work vehicle at the time of the accident or was on a work errand, an accident victim may seek compensation for injuries by filing a law suit against the employer or owner of the vehicle. Victims of a Florida hit and run accident who have suffered personal injuries or family members of those killed in a hit and run accident may also be able to bring criminal charges against the driver, if the person can be located by police.

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