Leaving the Scene of an Accident in Florida

What is leaving the Scene of an Accident?

When two or more drivers are involved in an accident, it is the obligation of all drivers involved to stay at the scene and provide persons involved with their name, address, driver’s license and insurance information. If a driver is involved in an accident and does not stop and provide this information they will be charged with leaving the scene of an accident which is a criminal offense.

Penalties’ from Leaving the Scene of an Accident

Typically, the more severe the accident is, the more severe the penalties for leaving the scene of the accident will be. There are three different categories of accidents, and each has different penalties for leaving the scene of an accident.

Accident involving damage to property ONLY:

This carries a penalty of up to sixty days in jail, a fine of up to $500 dollars, and up to six months of probation. Note that this applies to accidents where NO injuries have occurred.

Accident involving injury to a person or persons:

Leaving the scene of an accident that involves an injured person or persons is a third-degree felony. Penalties for leaving an injured person or persons at the scene of an accident include up to five years in prison, up to five years of probation, and fines of up to $5000 dollars.

Accident involving a death or deaths:

Leaving the scene of an accident where a death occurred, apart from being morally reprehensible, involves very serious penalties: up to 15 years spent inside a prison, up to 15 years of probation, and fines of up to $10,000 dollars.

Additional to all of these categories, any person that flees the scene of an accident is going to incur all the costs and expenses to rectify the damage caused by fleeing the scene, and drivers who are penalized can find themselves with higher car insurance premiums and other financial woes for a long time into the future.

Being charged with fleeing the scene of an accident is very serious, and if a person finds themself being charged with fleeing the scene of an accident, it is best to contact an attorney as soon as possible. In fact, contacting an attorney after an accident can often prevent self-incrimination and other problems later on down the road. Many accidents leave the people involved in them disoriented and confused and this can cause people involved in the accident to make self-incriminating statements to police officers or other officials on the scene, and it is also a reason people leave the scene of an accident. This is why contacting a lawyer immediately would be in a person’s best interest

Call our Firm Today

For combating cases where an individual has been accused of fleeing the scene of an accident, please contact our firm today. Our firm has an exemplary record fighting traffic violations as we have been helping motorists fight traffic tickets since 2004. Call anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Call our offices at 1-800-FIGHT-IT (1-800-344-4848) to set up a free consultation and learn how we can help you fight your case.