A hit-and-run investigation can take several days to several months to resolve, depending on various factors. This timeline matters, as your medical bills and lost wages may exceed your personal injury protection (PIP) insurance policy. Holding the at-fault driver liable is one way to recover more money.
The sooner the police conclude a hit-and-run investigation and identify the at-fault driver, the sooner you can file a car accident claim and seek financial accountability for your injuries. An experienced car accident attorney at Zervos & Calta, PLLC, can review the accident and help you understand your options for seeking compensation. Contact us today to learn more in a free consultation.
What Factors Influence How Long a Hit-and-Run Investigation May Take?
Several factors can affect how long a police hit-and-run investigation will take. It is vital to have a good understanding of those different factors.
One of the most important factors is the availability of evidence. The police will need a description of the car, a license plate number, or other identifying information to track down the driver who fled the scene. If the accident occurred at a busy intersection, there may be traffic camera footage and eyewitnesses. On the other hand, if the crash happened on a lightly travelled back road, there may not be much information for the police to use to find the hit-and-run driver.
Another factor is the severity of the accident. A minor incident that results in some vehicle damage and relatively minor injuries likely won’t get the same attention from police as an accident resulting in severe injuries.
The resources of the police department handling your car accident case can also play a big role. A small police department may not have the staffing to promptly track down every hit-and-run offender. Your case could end up in a stack of cases the police must investigate.
What Can the Police Do To Find Hit-and-Run Drivers in Florida?
Police use a variety of methods to identify and locate hit-and-run drivers. Their methods include collecting vehicle and driver descriptions from witnesses, finding traffic and dash cam footage, and gathering physical evidence at the accident scene.
Traffic camera footage is often effective for locating hit-and-run drivers. It can show the vehicles’ make, model, and color. In some cases, a traffic camera may even capture a license plate number or image of the driver.
Eyewitness testimony can also help identify and track down offending drivers. Witnesses may be able to provide information about the vehicle, a description of the driver, or the vehicle’s current location.
Accident scene evidence can help connect a specific driver or vehicle to the accident. For example, if the police locate a suspect, they may be able to match the damage on the suspect’s vehicle to the damage on your vehicle to show that the hit-and-run driver’s car struck your car.
What Happens If the Hit-and-Run Driver Can’t Be Found?
If neither you nor the police can locate the hit-and-run driver, you may still have options for pursuing fair compensation for your car accident injuries. The first option is to file a claim against your PIP insurance policy to cover medical expenses. Since Florida is a no-fault car insurance state, you can always file a car accident claim against this policy regardless of who was at fault for the collision.
If your PIP policy’s limits don’t cover all of your losses, you can also file an uninsured motorist claim with your insurer. Florida law requires insurance companies to offer uninsured motorist (UM) coverage when they sell auto insurance policies. You likely have uninsured motorist insurance unless you signed a waiver declining to purchase it as part of your car insurance coverage.
How Long After the Hit-and-Run Accident Will the Police Contact Me?
After you report a hit-and-run accident, the police will respond to the accident scene. If you sustained serious injuries and need medical care, you should request an ambulance when you report the accident. If first responders take you by ambulance to the hospital, a police officer may interview you after you begin medical treatment.
The police will ask various questions about the incident, such as:
- When did the accident occur?
- What did the vehicle look like?
- Were you able to get a look at the driver?
- What direction did the driver go when they fled the scene?
After the initial interview, you may not hear from the police for several days, weeks, or months. This delay could be because they’re busy investigating the incident or because they placed your case in a queue and haven’t gotten around to it yet.
If you have a personal injury attorney, the lawyer can contact the police to check on the investigation status and find out whether they have determined the hit-and-run driver’s identity.
How Do You Prove Fault in a Hit-and-Run Accident in Florida?
Proving fault in a hit-and-run accident is essential to seeking compensation if your injuries are severe and your auto insurance doesn’t cover all your medical expenses. The best way to do this is to work with an experienced attorney who will handle your car accident claim from start to finish.
Your car accident lawyer can conduct an independent investigation into the accident. Through the investigation, they’ll work to identify the at-fault driver and seek crucial evidence needed to prove fault, such as:
- Accident scene photographs
- Traffic and surveillance camera footage
- Eyewitness statements
- Expert testimony
- Your medical records.
Can You Recover Compensation After a Hit-and-Run Crash?
You may recover compensation after a hit-and-run crash. The types of compensation depend on the types of claims that you file. For example, PIP insurance only covers medical expenses and lost wages.
To seek compensation for property damage, you must file a claim with the at-fault driver’s Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance. To seek compensation for pain and suffering, you must have severe injuries and file a car accident lawsuit against the at-fault driver, if the driver is identified.
Contact a Florida Car Accident Lawyer
Attorneys Angela A. Zervos and Lauren Calta offer clients over 50 years of combined legal experience and a reputation for being accomplished trial lawyers. We have decades of experience filing car accident lawsuits and helping accident victims. Our injury lawyers negotiate aggressively with insurance providers for maximum compensation for our clients, and we are prepared to take cases to trial.
This approach has helped our law firm secure several high-value settlements and verdicts for clients injured in motor vehicle accidents, including one case worth $3 million. While past results do not guarantee future outcomes, we stand ready to put our experience to work for you now.
When times are tough, your lawyer should be, too. If you have suffered injuries in a hit-and-run accident, contact Zervos & Calta, PLLC, for a free consultation with a skilled car accident lawyer.
About the Author
Lauren Calta
Attorney Lauren Calta is a partner in the Tampa Bay law firm Zervos & Calta, PLLC. For 33 years, Lauren Calta has focused her legal practice on representing people who have been harmed in personal injury, car accidents or lost loved ones due to the negligence of others. A distinguished personal injury trial attorney, she has secured millions of dollars for her clients and is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar and Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum in recognition of having obtained a settlement or verdict in excess of $2 million. She also is an official member of Lawyers of Distinction, Tampa Bay Trial Lawyers, Clearwater Bar Association and Florida Justice Association.
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