All drivers are required to stay at the location of an accident if it involves property damage, personal injury, serious bodily injury, or death until they have fulfilled their statutory duties according to Florida law. If an individual fails to fulfill their duties, then they can be charged with leaving the scene of an accident, also known as a hit and run.
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FHSMV) reported that there are close to 92,000 hit and run accidents every single year in the State of Florida. Out of these accidents, there were 19,000 cases of bodily injury and up to 1,2000 cases of serious bodily injury.
At The Law Place, we understand the complexities that come with many leaving the scene of an accident cases, and we have an in-depth understanding of the laws in the State of Florida. Our law firm has a skilled team of Bradenton criminal defense lawyers who have the necessary knowledge to tackle your hit and run charges and defend your name in the State of Florida.
If you choose to let us represent you in court, then you should know that your case is in capable hands. Some leaving the scene of an accident cases can result in a first-degree felony, which includes spending up to 30 years in prison. The consequences for a hit and run charge might seem very intimidating, but we have handled cases from the lowest to the highest extremes with great success.
Get in contact with The Law Place today to set up a free consultation where a criminal defense lawyer will discuss the details of your case, answer your questions, and give you an honest piece of advice on how to approach your case.
Contact us now on (941) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation, and we will fight your leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage charges together in Bradenton.
Statutory Duties Following an Accident in Bradenton, FL.
Every driver must fulfill a series of statutory duties following a car accident in the State of Florida before they are legally allowed to leave the scene:
For cases of leaving the scene of an accident involving only property damage:
- Quickly stop the car at the location or as close as possible to the location.
- Get in contact with the owner of the vehicle or other property that was damaged, and notify them of name, address, and vehicle registration number.
- Display your driver’s license if the other driver asks to see it.
- Give your driver’s license, address, vehicle registration number, and other relevant information to the police officers at the scene of the accident.
- If the other driver was not present at the accident, then you are required to locate them. However, if they cannot be found, then the driver must write a note leaving your name, address, and vehicle registration number securely attached where it can easily be seen by the other driver.
- Notify the law enforcement of the car accident as soon as possible.
This information is from Florida Statute 316.061 and Florida Statute 316.063.
These statutory duties must be fulfilled regardless of who was at fault for the car accident. In most cases, the determination of fault is left up to the court or insurance companies once an in-depth investigation has been made.
Penalties for Leaving the Scene of an Accident in Bradenton, FL.
The penalties for leaving the scene of an accident in Bradenton will ultimately depend on the extent of the damage and whether the accident involved only property damage, personal injury, serious bodily injury, or even wrongful death.
- Leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage – This is classed as a second-degree misdemeanor, which is punishable by spending up to 60 days in jail, up to 6 months of probation, and paying a fine up to $500.
- Leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury – This is classed as a third-degree felony, which is punishable by spending up to five years in prison, up to five years of probation, and paying a fine up to $5,000.
- Leaving the scene of an accident involving serious bodily injury – This is classed as a second-degree felony, which is punishable by spending up to 15 years in prison and paying a fine up to $5,000.
- Leaving the scene of an accident involving death – This is classed as a first-degree felony, which is punishable by spending up to 30 years in prison (including a minimum mandatory sentence of up to 4 years in prison) and paying a fine up to $10,000.
It is also worth noting that a hit and run conviction that involves serious bodily injury or death will result in the loss of a driver’s license for up to a minimum of 3 years in the State of Florida.
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Defenses to Leaving the Scene of an Accident in Bradenton, FL.
The Law Place has an extensive list of possible defense strategies that we could apply in the case of leaving the scene of an accident in the State of Florida. We will make sure to explore each available defense method in order to ensure the success of your hit and run case in Bradenton.
Some of the most common defense strategies include:
- You lacked knowledge that your vehicle impacted another individual’s vehicle or property.
- Your failure to stop at the scene of the accident was not intentional, but your actions were controlled by an emergency situation at the time.
- You tried to stop as close as you could to the scene of the accident.
- The other driver involved in the crash refused to take your identifying information.
- The other driver became aggressive and insisted that you leave the scene of the accident to contact law enforcement.
- You offered ‘reasonable assistance’ to the other injured driver.
We’re Florida’s top litigation team with over 75 years of combined experience
Contact The Law Place Today
If you have been charged with leaving the scene of an accident in Bradenton, then you must seek qualified legal representation as soon as possible.
The Law Place has over seventy-five years of combined experience and knowledge in the field of hit and runs, and we have managed to help hundreds of clients who were facing similar charges to you with great success. We have a dedicated team of criminal defense lawyers who understand the laws on hit and run in the State of Florida and will be at your side every step of the way.
If you decide that we are the right law firm for you, then we will work hard to reduce your charges and minimize the consequences that you are facing – regardless of whether your case involves property damage, personal injury, serious bodily injury, or even wrongful death. Rest assured that anything you share with us will be kept confidential under the attorney-client relationship privilege in the State of Florida.
Contact us now on (941) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation, and we will fight your leaving the scene of an accident involving property damage charges together in Bradenton.
