What to do After a Hit-and-Run in Florida

If you hit someone’s car, here’s how to handle a hit-and-run accident.

Call the Police

You’re required to report to the police any accident involving:

• Injury
• Death
• Property damage of at least $500

Damage to Unattended Vehicles and Property

If you hit a parked car with no one in it, or you damage property, and no one is around, you must stop and try to locate the owner or driver, notify them of the accident, and exchange information.

If you can’t find them, you must leave a securely attached note in a conspicuous place on their vehicle or property. The note should include your:

• Name
• Address
• Vehicle registration number

Make sure to move your car so it’s not obstructing traffic, as that’s a nonmoving violation on its own (more on penalties below).

Property Damage Only

If your at-fault accident caused property damage only, you are required to give information after you stop at the scene of the crime, or as close as you can, and move your car from obstructing traffic: Exchange your name, address, registration number, and, if any vehicle occupant or police officer requests it, your driver’s license or learner’s permit information

Personal Injuries and Death

In addition to the above requirements, you’ll have to render aid to any injured parties, meaning carry or arrange to carry them to a hospital, physician, or surgeon for surgical or medical treatment if it seems necessary or if the injured person requests it. This duty to “render aid” applies only to “serious bodily injuries,” which the Florida Statutes define as physical conditions that cause a substantial risk of:

• Death
• Serious personal disfigurement
• Protected loss or impairment of the function of a bodily organ or member

If you caused death, the police will hold you in custody until you’re released on bail, if you can pay it.¹

Gather Evidence

That’s it for your legal duties, but we recommend doing the following after an accident to gather evidence for your auto insurance claim:

1. Talk to witnesses and gather their contact information. See if anyone saw their license plate number.
2. Ask for a copy of the police report to use in your claim.
3. Write down the time of the accident, weather conditions, and date.
4. Take photos of a hit-and-run accident.

Florida’s no-fault laws mean that the at-fault driver pays for the other driver’s property damages under property damage liability coverage, but each party pays for its own medical expenses under personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. If you don’t know the identity of the other driver, you can use uninsured motorist coverage or collision coverage to repair or replace your car. If you’ve reached your PIP limit, you can use your health insurance as secondary coverage.

Florida car insurance premiums will increase by an average of 47 percent following a hit-and-run, given you caused the accident and were caught and convicted.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System tracks fatal car crashes throughout the U.S. Focusing on Florida specifically, we found that from 2011 to 2021, the most recent data available, 7 percent of fatal car crashes in Florida were hit-and-runs.

More than 1 in 4 fatal hit-and-runs in Florida involved drunk driving in 2021, meaning the driver had a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent or higher. Speeding and distracted driving were involved less often.

Of the known fatal hit-and-run drivers in Florida the same year, a quarter were between the ages of 25 and 34, while nearly half were between 25 and 44.

Nearly 8 out of 10 drivers involved in fatal hit-and-runs were male when the sex of the driver was known. Despite this outsized involvement, men in Florida pay the same amount for car insurance as women in Florida, given all else is equal, due to the state’s anti-discrimination legislation.³

Depending on the consequences of the hit-and-run, penalties could include fines, imprisonment, a license revocation, community service, and even community control, meaning house arrest.

Penalties for Hit-and-Run Drivers

If you leave the scene of the accident without calling law enforcement, you’ll face the following penalties under Florida law.

Whenever you file a claim with your insurance provider, it’ll make finding cheap car insurance in Florida that much harder. That being said, hopefully you’re able to find the identity of the hit-and-run driver so you can file third-party claims with their insurance provider, keeping your rates low.