Legally reviewed by Dean Levy, Florida personal injury attorney (Florida Bar No. 1012164). Last updated September 16, 2026.
After a hit and run accident in Florida, your own insurance pays first. Personal injury protection covers initial medical bills whether or not the driver is ever found, and uninsured motorist coverage stands in for the fleeing driver’s missing liability policy. Reporting the crash to police immediately protects both claims and improves the odds of identifying the vehicle.
Key takeaways
- PIP pays initial medical bills even when the driver is never identified.
- Uninsured motorist coverage replaces the fleeing driver’s missing liability policy.
- Report the crash to police immediately; insurers expect it for UM claims.
- Leaving an injury crash is a felony in Florida, with restitution ordered.
- Roughly one in four Florida crashes involves a driver who left the scene.
Who pays after a hit and run accident in Florida?
Your own insurance, in a set order. Personal injury protection under Florida Statutes § 627.736 pays 80 percent of medical bills and 60 percent of lost wages, up to $10,000, without regard to fault, so it pays whether the fleeing driver is caught next week or never. The 14-day treatment deadline still applies.
Uninsured motorist coverage handles the rest. An unidentified driver is treated as an uninsured driver, so UM coverage on your own policy, or on a policy belonging to a relative in your household, pays the damages the fleeing driver’s liability policy would have covered, including pain and suffering for qualifying injuries.
Without UM coverage, the options narrow to health insurance and whatever can be recovered if police identify the driver. Florida does not require drivers to buy UM, and many skip it to save premium, which is the decision hit-and-run victims most often regret.
What should you do in the first 48 hours after a hit and run?
Call 911 from the scene and get the report started, because nearly every UM policy expects prompt notice to law enforcement and the report is the foundation of the claim. Give the dispatcher everything you saw: color, make, body style, partial plate, direction of travel, and damage to the fleeing car.
- Photograph your vehicle, the scene, debris, and any paint transfer before anything is moved.
- Ask nearby businesses and homes about cameras the same day; footage is often overwritten within days.
- Collect names and numbers from every witness, including passengers in other cars.
- Get medical care within 14 days to preserve PIP benefits.
- Notify your own insurer promptly and ask what UM coverage the policy carries.
- Request the crash report through the Florida Crash Portal once it is filed.
Skip the recorded statement until you have advice. Even with your own insurer, a UM claim is adversarial: the company pays only what the fleeing driver would have owed, and it will look for reasons to reduce that number.
How often are hit and run drivers found in Florida?
Often enough to keep pushing. Florida logged 97,519 hit-and-run crashes in 2024, according to the FLHSMV, and 81,205 of them involved property damage only, which means more than 16,000 involved a person who was hurt or killed. Roughly one in four Florida crashes involves a driver who left the scene.
The consequences for the driver are steep, which is why tips and cameras matter. Under Florida Statutes § 316.027, leaving a crash that injured someone is a third-degree felony, leaving a crash with serious bodily injury is a second-degree felony, and leaving a fatal crash is a first-degree felony with a mandatory minimum prison term, and courts must order restitution to the victim.
Pedestrians and cyclists carry the worst of it. FLHSMV reports that they make up the largest share of hit-and-run deaths, and that these crashes cluster at dawn, dusk, and in low light. Anonymous tips go to Crime Stoppers or the Florida Highway Patrol at *FHP (*347).
Does uninsured motorist coverage cover a hit and run in Florida?
Yes. Uninsured motorist coverage is designed for exactly this situation: a driver who caused the crash and cannot be made to pay, whether because they carry no bodily injury coverage or because nobody knows who they are. The claim goes to your own insurer, and the damages are measured the same way they would be against the driver.
Coverage limits and stacking decide how much is available. Stacked UM multiplies limits across the vehicles on a policy, and household policies may add another layer. The table below shows how the pieces fit.
| Payment source | What it pays | Condition |
|---|---|---|
| Personal injury protection (PIP) | 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages, up to $10,000 | Treatment within 14 days; no fault required |
| Uninsured motorist (UM) coverage | Damages the fleeing driver would owe, including pain and suffering for qualifying injuries | UM purchased on your policy or a household policy; prompt police report |
| Health insurance | Continuing treatment under normal plan terms | After PIP is exhausted |
| The driver’s liability coverage | Full damages | Only if the driver is identified and insured |
Pain and suffering under UM still requires Florida’s permanent injury threshold, the same rule that applies to any claim against an insured driver.
What should Broward County hit and run victims do next?
Treat the first two weeks as the case-building window. Broward County logged more than 36,000 crashes in 2025 according to FLHSMV Crash Dashboard data, and its dense arterial corridors, several of which appear in our review of the most dangerous intersections in Fort Lauderdale, are also where camera coverage is heaviest, which works in a victim’s favor.
Then read your own policy closely. Our guide to what happens when the at-fault driver has no insurance explains UM coverage, stacking, and the claim process in detail, because a hit-and-run claim runs on the same rules.
The lawsuit deadline is two years under Florida Statutes § 95.11(5)(a), but UM policies carry their own notice and cooperation requirements that arrive far sooner. A Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer can review the policy language and the crash report in a free consultation, and Dean Levy Injury Law takes these cases on a contingency fee.
Frequently asked questions
What if I didn’t get the license plate of the car that hit me?
The claim does not depend on it. PIP pays regardless of who the driver was, and uninsured motorist coverage exists specifically for drivers who cannot be identified. Police can often identify a vehicle from a partial plate, paint transfer, debris, or nearby camera footage, so report every detail you noticed. Even a color and a body style narrows the search considerably.
Do I need a police report to file a hit and run claim in Florida?
For practical purposes, yes. PIP does not require it, but uninsured motorist policies routinely require prompt notice to law enforcement, and an insurer will use the absence of a report to argue the crash never happened the way you describe. Call 911 from the scene whenever possible, and file a report as soon as you can if you had to leave for medical care.
Can a pedestrian or cyclist hit by a hit and run driver make a claim?
Yes. A pedestrian or cyclist struck by a car claims PIP through their own auto policy or a household relative’s policy even though they were not driving, and uninsured motorist coverage on those same policies can stand in for the fleeing driver. Pedestrians and cyclists account for the largest share of Florida’s hit-and-run deaths, and the 14-day PIP treatment deadline applies to them too.
What happens if the hit and run driver is caught later?
The claim expands. Once the driver is identified, a liability claim against their bodily injury coverage becomes available, and the felony charge for leaving the scene includes court-ordered restitution to the victim. A driver who fled may also face a punitive damages claim in the civil case. Any UM benefits already paid are typically recovered by your insurer from the at-fault driver.
How long do I have to file a hit and run lawsuit in Florida?
Two years from the crash under Florida Statutes § 95.11(5)(a) for most claims, and two years from the date of death in fatal cases. Uninsured motorist claims run on the policy’s own notice and cooperation clauses, which arrive far sooner, so notify your insurer promptly and get the crash report filed. Crashes before March 24, 2023 kept the older four-year deadline.
Does the driver’s felony charge help my injury claim?
It helps, though the criminal case and the civil claim run separately. A conviction for leaving the scene is strong evidence in the civil case, and the court must order restitution to the victim as part of the sentence. The civil claim does not wait for the criminal case to finish, and it can proceed against your UM coverage while police keep investigating.
Talk to a Fort Lauderdale attorney about your hit and run claim
Dean Levy Injury Law represents hit-and-run victims across Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Pompano Beach, Deerfield Beach, and Lighthouse Point. Dean Levy has practiced Florida personal injury law since his admission to the Florida Bar in 2018, and every case starts with a free consultation on a contingency fee basis. Call (888) 613-3326 or visit the office at 955 South Federal Hwy, Suite 416, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316.
This article is general legal information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship with Dean Levy Injury Law. Coverage always depends on the policies and facts involved in a specific crash. Consult a licensed Florida attorney about your situation before making any decision based on this information.
