Gainesville Hit & Run Accident Lawyer
If a driver flees the scene of an accident, you are likely dealing with painful injuries and mounting bills, and have questions about how to move forward. Fortunately, you still have options for pursuing compensation and justice. If you or a loved one has been in a hit-and-run crash in Gainesville, call our experienced Gainesville hit-and-run accident lawyers immediately at 352-505-8093 for a free consultation.
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Table of Contents
Experienced Gainesville Hit and Run Lawyers Ready To Fight for You
We’ll Get You Through the Hardships a Gainesville Hit and Run Causes
Do You Still Have a Case if the At-Fault Driver Leaves the Scene?
Compensation Options When You Are Injured in a Hit and Run Wreck
Evidence Needed To Prove a Gainesville Hit and Run Crash
Insurance Challenges in Gainesville Hit & Run Accidents
The Real Cost of Hit and Run Accidents in Gainesville
A hit-and-run crash can leave you scrambling for answers while you’re coping with injuries or the loss of a loved one. Not knowing who is responsible deprives you of an important source of compensation: the driver’s liability insurance. Fortunately, the driver’s insurance isn’t your only option. Even if the driver is never identified, our skilled Gainesville hit and run attorneys can find multiple sources of compensation.
We’ve been helping injured people and grieving families recover maximized compensation since 1979. We serve all of Alachua County and the surrounding areas from our Gainesville office and treat every client with honesty, dignity, and respect.
Experienced Gainesville Hit and Run Lawyers Ready To Fight for You
When you choose our Gainesville hit-and-run law firm, you get fierce, personalized advocacy with access to all of the resources of our large regional firm. Rather than delegating your case to a lone attorney and forcing internal competition, we work as a unified team to maximize your results. We have recovered over $2 billion for our clients, and our results are no accident. We win through caring, understanding, and hard work.
Our Gainesville team includes Ryan O’Connor, who defended insurance companies early in his career, giving him valuable insight into defeating their tactics. He has built an impressive record of wins for our clients. He has direct access to our senior partners, including our founding partner Eddie Farah, who will personally weigh in on your case as needed.
We’ll Get You Through the Hardships a Gainesville Hit and Run Causes
Car accidents are already devastating, but a hit-and-run can leave you feeling abandoned when you need help the most. We’re here to help you through the fear and uncertainty. We’ll shoulder the burden of the legal details, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
As our client, you’re part of the Farah family. We’re your lawyers for life and trusted allies providing compassionate support beyond your injury claim. We’ll help you find a doctor, make rental car arrangements, and even file your property damage claim, all at no added cost.
We’ll go above and beyond and handle every aspect of your Gainesville hit and run claim, including the investigation, evidence collection, insurance battles, and paperwork. We’ll keep you updated every step of the way, answer your calls, and even check on your well-being. Most importantly, we won’t stop fighting until we recover every penny you deserve.
Do You Still Have a Case if the At-Fault Driver Leaves the Scene?
Yes, even if the driver is never found, our dedicated Florida hit and run attorneys can help identify other sources of compensation
Fleeing the scene of an accident is a serious crime if it causes an injury or death. If law enforcement finds the offender, they can face the following penalties:
| Injury | Type of Offense | Maximum Fine | Maximum Imprisonment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non-serious injury | 3rd-degree felony | $5,000 | 5 years |
| Serious injury | 2nd-degree felony | $10,000 | 15 years |
| Death | 1st-degree felony | $10,000 | 30 years 4-year mandatory minimum |
All of the above hit-and-run offenses require a three-year license revocation, and restitution is mandatory in most cases.
Compensation Options When You Are Injured in a Hit and Run Wreck
A hit-and-run settlement can include compensation for immediate and long-term impacts of your injuries, including current and future medical bills, lost wages, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, and more. If the driver is identified, you may also be able to recover punitive damages through a hit and run lawsuit, as long as you have clear and convincing evidence of intentional misconduct or gross negligence.
Compensation for hit-and-run injuries can come from your PIP insurance, uninsured motorist insurance, third parties who contributed to the accident, and umbrella insurance policies.
Our experienced hit-and-run attorneys think outside the box and leave no stone unturned to find every available source of compensation. We’ll investigate your accident and look for vehicle defects, road safety issues, and other drivers who may share responsibility for the accident. We often find insurance coverage that our clients were unaware they had.
How Much Compensation Can You Recover in a Hit and Run Case?
The amount you recover will depend on factors specific to your case, such as the severity of your injuries, the cost of your medical care, third-party liability, and the available insurance. Hit-and-run accidents are similar to uninsured motorist collisions, which also put injured people in a position of not being able to recover money from the at-fault driver.
The following are two examples of our many successful case results in uninsured driver accidents:
- $410,000 wrongful death recovery for an accident involving an uninsured driver
- $250,000 for the family of an individual with dementia who wandered into the road and was struck and killed by an uninsured driver
Evidence Needed to Prove a Gainesville Hit and Run Crash
Proving a hit-and-run case requires strong evidence, including police reports, witness statements, surveillance footage, vehicle debris, medical records, accident scene photos, black box data, and expert witness testimony.
Having a skilled Gainesville hit-and-run law firm on your side is crucial for proving your claim. We work with top forensic experts, including accident reconstructionists, forensic analysts, life care planners, and medical specialists, to bolster claims. Even without the hit-and-run driver’s information, we can uncover significant evidence by analyzing your injuries, your property damage, and the scene.
Read More: What Evidence Is Needed in a Hit and Run Accident?
“Rollovers, head-on collisions, hit and runs. You name it, we've litigated it. And while insurance companies joke about the mayhem that occurs on roadways, we've seen the real effects: lost lives, catastrophic injury, cars crushed like soda cans, and trust us: There's nothing funny about it. If you've been in a crash, count on our experienced hit and run attorneys to seek full justice for all the money your case is worth. For a Farah fight, you know who to call.”
Insurance Challenges in Gainesville Hit & Run Accidents
Insurance claims are already challenging enough, but a hit-and-run accident adds to the confusion. Our Gainesville car accident lawyers aren’t afraid to take on the hard cases. We’ll do any amount of hard work and research to find the compensation you need and deserve. Below are the most common challenges we are willing and able to tackle for you.
Challenge 1: You Can’t File a Claim Against the At-Fault Driver’s Insurance
In most car accidents, you’d file a claim directly with the at-fault driver’s insurance company, but hit-and-run crashes eliminate that option. Fortunately, the at-fault driver’s insurance isn’t the only source of compensation. Uninsured motorist insurance is crucial in these cases because it fills the coverage gap when the driver flees.
We also look for other responsible parties, such as the following:
- Manufacturers of defective auto components that worsened your injuries
- Government entities that fail to maintain safe road conditions
- Other drivers who contributed to the accident
While this poses a challenge, it isn’t insurmountable when you have our dedicated hit and run lawyers in Gainesville working for you.
Challenge 2: Your Own Insurance Company Becomes Your Opponent
When you must turn to your own uninsured motorist coverage, you may find yourself in the awkward position of fighting against your own insurance company. Despite paying premiums for years, your insurance company now has a financial incentive to resort to the same tactics the at-fault driver’s insurance company would have used, such as minimizing your injuries, blaming you for the accident, or ignoring you.
You’ll need an experienced Gainesville personal injury lawyer to handle communications with your own insurance company, just as you would if you had filed a claim with the driver’s insurer. This can feel strange if you still have a relationship with the insurer, but we’ll help you through it.
Challenge 3: Coverage Limits Can Leave You With Less Compensation Than You Deserve
Florida is a no-fault state, so you must first make a claim under your Personal Injury Protection, or PIP, coverage. Under a $10,000 PIP policy, severe injury costs can quickly exhaust coverage. If you don’t have access to the other driver’s insurance, your next recourse is uninsured motorist coverage. This coverage isn’t mandatory in Florida, and it’s only available if you purchased it when you purchased your mandatory auto insurance.
Even with uninsured motorist coverage, you can only recover up to your policy limit. Your coverage might not cover all your financial losses, pain and suffering, and other damages.
This is why working with the experienced legal team at Farah & Farah is crucial. We’ll work to determine if any third parties are liable and uncover umbrella policies, short-term disability insurance, and other coverage to maximize your recovery.
$2+ BILLION IN RESULTS
The Real Cost of a Hit and Run Accident in Gainesville
Hit-and-run accidents cause severe injuries that can change your life forever. Not being able to hold the at-fault driver accountable only adds to the injustice. Our compassionate team understands the frustration, anger, and worry you may be feeling as you adapt to the impacts of the accident. While the hit-and-run driver might escape accountability, you may be left dealing with the following:
- Spinal cord injuries
- Paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Broken ribs
- Shattered pelvis
- Broken collarbone, wrist, or leg
- Debilitating whiplash
- Severe burns
- The death of a loved one
The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles has reported that 25% of all crashes in Florida in 2023 were hit and run accidents. They caused 271 fatalities and 871 serious injuries. Over three-quarters of all fatal hit and run crashes involved pedestrians and bicyclists.
How Long Do You Have To File a Hit & Run Lawsuit
Florida’s statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years , meaning you must file your hit-and-run lawsuit within two years of the accident date. For wrongful death claims, the time limit is two years from the date of death.
Don’t wait that long to contact an attorney. Even if you only wait a few months, the most important evidence may be gone. For example, eyewitnesses may forget details, surveillance footage may be erased, and important clues at the scene may fade. This evidence could point to liable third parties and prevent the insurance company from blaming you for the accident.
Don’t wait to involve our experienced Gainesville hit and run accident lawyers. We can help you get medical care, document your injuries, and preserve evidence.
Let Our Gainesville Hit and Run Lawyers Go to Work for You
You don’t have to face the aftermath of a hit-and-run accident alone. Our knowledgeable Gainesville hit-and-run attorneys are ready to fight for the justice and compensation you deserve.
We have been helping people injured in hit-and-run accidents and their families since 1979, and experience makes all the difference. We charge no upfront fees, and you pay nothing unless we win.
Let us put our experience to work for you. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Gainesville Hit & Run Accident
Gainesville Motorcycle Accident
Gainesville Medical Malpractice
Gainesville Workers’ Compensation
1511 NW 6th St
Gainesville, FL 32601
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