Hit and Run Accident Attorney in Stuart, FL

A serious car accident in Stuart can significantly impact your life. You may have to deal with issues regarding property damage, bodily injuries, and financial stressors. While the legal system enables victims to recover financial compensation for their injuries, it can be challenging in a hit-and-run accident. Further, these accidents are considered misdemeanors and felonies and often result in serious fines and jail time, especially if there is a fatality.

At Kogan & DiSalvo, our team is especially skilled in complex personal injury cases. We are passionate about fighting on behalf of our clients and their families. If you need a dedicated and hard-working law firm that takes cases on a contingency basis, contact us today about your hit-and-run accident, and schedule a free consultation.

What is a Hit and Run Accident?

Under Florida law, a driver involved in an accident that involves injury, death, or property damage must provide the following information to all involved parties and a police officer.

• The driver’s name
• The address of the driver
• The driver’s vehicle registration number
• Driver’s license

If they fled the accident scene, it would be identified as a hit-and-run. As noted above, drivers who fail to do this may be charged with a misdemeanor or even a felony. 

How do You Prove Liability in a Hit and Run Accident Claim?

While proving liability in a hit-and-skip accident claim can be particularly challenging, it is not impossible. First, your Stuart car accident lawyer will need to prove that they were negligent in causing the crash. This often involves establishing that they violated one or more traffic laws, such as speeding, running a red light, or drunk driving. However, identifying them may not be easy.

Fortunately, there are several possible methods of being able to identify the driver who fled, such as:

• Part or all of the accident may have been captured on a surveillance camera of a nearby business or private residence, so identifying information about that driver may be available, including the license plate number, the color, make, and model of the vehicle, and more, in that footage.
• You or another occupant of your vehicle may have been able to recall part or all of the other driver’s license plate number.
• An eyewitness to the crash may be able to recall some identifying characteristics of the other driver’s vehicle. 

Why Hiring a Lawyer after a Hit and Run Accident is Essential

The driver who fled the scene of the accident usually has a reason. Maybe they feared financial and legal issues because they were driving without insurance or a driver’s license. Perhaps the other vehicle was stolen, or the driver was under the influence. In other words, the hit-and-run driver does not want to be identified. However, you may still be able to recover financial compensation if you have an uninsured/underinsured auto insurance policy–but the amount of your financial recovery may be limited.

On the other hand, if you can identify the other driver, you may recover significant compensation in a car accident lawsuit. An experienced Stuart hit-and-run accident lawyer with years of experience handling these cases can make all the difference for your financial recovery—they will know what type of evidence to pursue and how best to obtain it.

How Kogan & DiSalvo Can Help You Recover after a Hit and Run

At Kogan & DiSalvo, we take pride in achieving justice for innocent victims, even in hit-and-run cases. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some of the steps we can take to build our case:

• Contact and communicate with any eyewitnesses to the accident.
• Seek, obtain, and analyze any surveillance camera footage that may have captured part or all of the crash.
• Communicate with experts about the accident and recruit them to testify on our client’s behalf.
• Communicate and negotiate with the insurance company to achieve a fair settlement out of court.
• Ensure that all legal filing deadlines are met.
• Take the case to trial if necessary.

Schedule a free consultation

If you have been injured in a hit-and-run accident in Stuart, call Kogan & DiSalvo today to arrange a complimentary case evaluation. We will be happy to review your case, answer your questions, and determine if you have a viable personal injury claim. There is no obligation to hire us, and since we work on a contingency basis, there are no upfront legal fees.