It happens in seconds. You feel the impact, you look up, and instead of pulling over, the other driver speeds away. On the busy streets of Miami and across South Florida, hit and run crashes leave injured people with real pain, real medical bills, and one urgent question: what now? The good news is that a fleeing driver does not end your claim. Florida law gives you options, and the steps you take in the first hours and days can protect both your health and your right to compensation.
Florida Law Requires Every Driver to Stop
Florida law is clear. Under Sections 316.061, 316.062, and 316.027 of the Florida Statutes, a driver involved in a crash must stop at the scene, or as close to it as safety allows, share name, address, and vehicle registration information, show a driver license on request, and give reasonable help to anyone who is hurt, including calling for medical assistance. Leaving the scene is a crime, and the consequences grow with the harm done. A crash involving only property damage can bring misdemeanor charges. A crash involving injury or death can bring felony charges, prison time, and loss of the driver license. A driver who flees has broken the law even if that driver did not cause the crash.
What to Do at the Scene
Call 911 right away and ask for police and medical help. A police report creates an official record of the crash, and that record becomes a foundation for your insurance claim. Tell the dispatcher where you are, whether anyone is hurt, and anything you saw about the vehicle that fled.
Do not chase the fleeing driver. A driver who has already chosen to run can drive recklessly and put you and everyone else on the road in danger. Your job is to gather information, not to pursue.
Write down everything you remember while it is fresh: the license plate, even part of it, the make, model, and color of the vehicle, the direction it traveled, and any visible damage it carried. If you can do so safely, take photographs of your vehicle, the scene, debris, and marks on the road. Look around for witnesses and ask for names and phone numbers. Nearby homes and businesses may have cameras that recorded the crash or the fleeing vehicle, and that footage can disappear quickly, so note which cameras you saw.
Get Medical Care and Document Everything
See a doctor promptly, even if you feel fine at the scene. Injuries from a crash often take hours or days to show themselves, and pain that seems minor can point to something more serious. Tell the provider your injuries came from a car crash so the records connect your treatment to the collision. Then keep everything in one place: medical records and bills, repair estimates, photographs, the police report, and notes about work you missed and activities you can no longer do. Good records support your treatment, and they become the evidence your claim stands on.
How PIP and Uninsured Motorist Coverage Apply When the Driver Is Never Found
Florida drivers often ask who pays when the other driver is never identified. In many cases, your own policy does. Personal injury protection, called PIP, is coverage Florida law requires, and Section 627.736 of the Florida Statutes sets its terms. PIP pays 80 percent of reasonable medical expenses and 60 percent of lost wages, up to $10,000, no matter who caused the crash. One deadline matters a great deal: you must receive initial medical care within 14 days of the crash, or you can lose PIP benefits altogether. Do not wait to see whether the pain goes away.
Uninsured motorist coverage, called UM coverage, is the second layer of protection. If you carry UM coverage, a driver who flees and is never identified is generally treated as an uninsured driver, so your UM coverage can respond to losses PIP does not cover, including larger medical bills, lost income, and pain and suffering, within the limits and terms of your policy. Report the crash to your insurer promptly and confirm what UM limits you carry. If you rejected UM coverage in writing, different rules apply, and an attorney can review those forms with you.
What Happens If the Driver Is Later Identified
Police identify fleeing drivers more often than people expect. A plate number, a camera recording, a witness account, or a visit to a repair shop can lead officers to the vehicle and the person behind the wheel. If the driver is found, your claim can proceed against that driver and the insurance company of that driver, and the decision to flee can shape how the claim is viewed. The driver may also face criminal charges, but that case belongs to the State and does not pay your bills. Your civil claim is separate, and it should move forward on its own track while the investigation continues.
Deadlines Matter More Than Most People Realize
Florida law sets a deadline, called a statute of limitations, for filing an injury lawsuit. For most negligence claims arising from crashes today, that deadline is two years from the date of the crash under Section 95.11 of the Florida Statutes. Claims that involve a government vehicle or agency follow special notice rules with shorter clocks. Evidence also fades fast. Camera recordings are erased, witnesses move away, and damaged vehicles get repaired. Having an attorney review your claim early, while the proof is still available, is the safest course.
How Hairston & Crooks Legal Group Can Help
Our firm represents injured people across Miami and South Florida, and hit and run claims are part of that work. We move quickly to preserve camera footage and witness statements, we follow the police investigation, and we identify every available source of coverage, including your PIP and UM benefits. We deal with the insurance companies, the paperwork, and the deadlines so you can focus on treatment and on getting your life back. If the fleeing driver is found, we pursue that driver and that insurer directly.
If a driver fled after hitting you, call Hairston & Crooks Legal Group at 305-426-6639 or visit hclegalgroup.com to talk with our team about your options. The consultation is free, and you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.
Disclaimer: This post is general information about Florida law as of November 2026. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create any relationship between you and our firm. Every crash is different, and deadlines and coverage depend on the facts. Speak with an attorney about your specific situation.
