If you were injured in a hit-and-run accident in Coral Springs, you may still recover compensation even if the driver is never identified. Florida law may allow recovery through uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, PIP benefits, and other available insurance policies.
The Coral Springs hit-and-run accident lawyers at Cindy Goldstein Law handle these claims by investigating available evidence, identifying applicable insurance coverage, and pursuing compensation through UM and other first-party claims.
An unidentified hit-and-run driver may be treated as an uninsured motorist for UM coverage purposes, subject to the terms of the policy and the facts of the crash.
Our team works quickly to preserve evidence that may disappear within days, including surveillance footage, body-camera recordings, 911 calls, and witness statements.
Cindy Goldstein Law is located at 10100 W. Sample Road, Suite 200, Coral Springs, FL 33065. Call 1-844-4LADYLAW or our local office at (954) 346-5420 today for a free case review.
How Does Cindy Goldstein Law Handle Hit-and-Run Cases?
Most clients call the firm seeking representation in a hit and run accident but have no idea what uninsured motorist (UM) coverage is and why it is critical to the outcome of a personal injury case. They exclaim their agent never explained to them what this coverage is, and they were misinformed because their agent told them they had "full coverage."
UM coverage is significant in three different scenarios:
- The adverse driver does not have bodily injury insurance (BI) at all.
- The adverse driver has a BI policy but is underinsured in light of the extent of your injuries and damages.
- You are struck in a hit and run crash with a "phantom" vehicle that fled the scene of the crash and the identity is unknown.
Because hit-and-run claims are made against your own uninsured motorist coverage, we provide hands-on guidance, help clients navigate property damage and rental car issues, and are prepared to litigate when the insurance company refuses to pay fair value.
A Different Intake Model
How we handle hit-and-run claims:
- Attorney Cindy Goldstein is personally involved in intake and case strategy, providing a meaningful consultation, rather than passing the claim through a call center.
- We help clients with property damage and rental car logistics, which some personal injury firms may not routinely handle as part of their representation since it is outside the scope of personal injury compensation.
- Our team speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole, with translated forms and multilingual communication available.
- We may help injured clients locate medical providers based on their reputation and specialties, which can become important when a UM insurer disputes the value of injuries.
- When appropriate, we are prepared to file suit and litigate aggressively if the insurance carrier refuses to offer fair compensation.
Those choices reflect a philosophy Cindy talks about often: take care of the client's needs first, and the result follows. That approach can be especially important in hit-and-run cases, because the insurer on the other side of the table is often your own insurance company.
Negotiating with your own insurance company takes a lawyer who is willing to be an aggressive advocate for you — and who has litigation experience if the insurance company refuses to amicably settle your claim pre-suit.
Real Results for Clients in Coral Springs
How Do You Recover Money When the Hit and Run Driver Is Never Found?
You may recover by filing first-party claims against the policies you already carry, such as PIP and UM coverage. Florida's no-fault system (PIP) provides every covered driver some protection that activates when a crash happens, regardless of whether the at-fault driver is identified.
What Are the Three Layers of Insurance Coverage in a Florida Hit and Run Case?
Three layers of coverage typically apply after a Coral Springs hit and run:
| Coverage | What It May Pay | Florida Limit or Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Personal Injury Protection (PIP) | 80% of reasonable and necessary medical expenses, 60% of lost wages | $10,000 cap; treatment within 14 days required to access benefits. Under Florida law, if a qualifying medical provider determines the injured person has an Emergency Medical Condition (EMC), your benefits are not capped at $2,500. Required coverage that can be utilized regardless of fault. |
| Uninsured Motorist (UM) | Medical bills beyond PIP, lost wages beyond PIP, pain and suffering, loss of earning capacity | Up to applicable policy limits; stacked UM, when elected, multiplies limits by number of vehicles on the policy. Optional coverage available depending on liability of insured. |
| Collision | Vehicle repair or total-loss value | Collision pays up to vehicle value minus deductible, subject to policy terms. Optional coverage available regardless of fault. |
Why UM Coverage Carries the Case
UM coverage is critical to the outcome of a hit-and-run personal injury case. PIP benefits may be exhausted quickly once treatment escalates to imaging, injections, or surgery. Moreover, PIP benefits are usually billed by the doctor, and a claimant's entitlement is to the lost wages.
UM coverage is where noneconomic damages, including pain and suffering, are typically recovered, and it is the layer insurers often contest most aggressively. If the identity of the hit and run driver is unknown, you must have UM coverage or there's no personal injury settlement.
What to Do After a Hit and Run in Coral Springs
A few practical moves are recommended after a crash before evidence disappears.
- After a crash, you should always call the police from the scene. Report the hit-and-run to the Coral Springs Police Department or the appropriate police department in the jurisdiction where the crash happened as soon as possible. Most UM insurers require or strongly expect a police report when the at-fault driver is not identified.
- Get medical attention within 14 days to evaluate any potential injuries. PIP eligibility hinges on that 14-day window.
- Photograph your vehicle, your injuries, and the location of the crash. Sample Road, University Drive, Wiles Road, and the area near the Sawgrass Expressway entrances all have varying levels of camera coverage worth checking quickly.
- Notify your own auto insurer that you are pursuing a UM claim. Do not give a recorded statement until you have spoken to a lawyer.
- Write down everything you remember about the other vehicle: color, make, partial plate, decals, body damage. Flag down all witnesses and get their information. Memory fades within days. Seek any business near the crash site that may have video surveillance of the crash.
These steps preserve evidence, but they do not build the case. The real work begins when investigators canvass for surveillance footage, request traffic-camera video, and run partial plate numbers through Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) databases.
That investigative phase is where we come in. If you were injured in a Coral Springs hit-and-run and want to know what evidence may still be available for your case, call 1-844-4LADYLAW for a free case review.
How Does the Criminal Hit and Run Case Help Your Civil Case?
If law enforcement identifies and charges the driver, the criminal case may strengthen the civil case. Under Florida Statute § 316.027, leaving the scene of a crash involving injury is generally classified as a third-degree felony.
Leaving the scene of a crash involving serious bodily injury is generally classified as a second-degree felony. Leaving the scene of a fatal crash is a first-degree felony and carries a four-year mandatory minimum prison sentence under the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act.
Background on the Act is summarized by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The charges and sentence in any case depend on the facts and the prosecutor's decision.
Even if the criminal defendant is located, this does not mean the defendant has valid BI insurance to cover your losses. You can still proceed with the UM claim.
Evidence the Criminal File Produces
A criminal conviction or plea may translate into useful evidence on the civil side. Restitution orders entered in the criminal case sometimes cover portions of the victim's losses.
Investigative materials generated by the Coral Springs Police Department and the Broward State Attorney's Office may include witness statements, surveillance footage, and forensic vehicle evidence that we may use to support the UM claim or pursue the driver directly when assets exist.
Criminal cases must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt and personal injury cases are proven based on the preponderance of the evidence in two different court systems. They may run parallel to one another. Criminal defendants may plead out in the criminal matter while your personal injury case is still pending.
Will My Insurance Rates Increase if I Make a UM Claim?
UM claims are made against your own insurance company. Many crash victims may feel reluctant to make this claim with his/her own auto insurance carrier with the fear that the auto carrier will retaliate and increase premiums.
However, there is a Florida Statute on point that deals with Unfair Trade Practices for Insurance Companies. Florida Statute § 626.9541(1)(o)3.a, which is part of Florida's Unfair Insurance Trade Practices Act, specifically states that an auto insurance company cannot impose a premium surcharge or refuse to renew your policy solely because you were involved in a motor vehicle accident, unless the insurer's file contains information from which they can "in good faith" determine that you were substantially at fault. This means you must be found 51% at fault or more for your insurance company to use the crash as a reason to increase insurance rates.
How Do Insurance Companies Handle UM Claims After a Coral Springs Hit and Run Accident?
While your insurance company has a fiduciary duty to look out for your best interest and act in good faith, insurance companies handle UM claims with the same philosophy as BI claims with the goal of saving the company money by paying out as little on your claim as possible.
What Tactics Do UM Adjusters Commonly Use to Reduce Claims?
UM adjusters often try to lower claim payouts by questioning your injuries, offering quick low settlements, delaying payments, or arguing that less coverage applies.
Common tactics include:
- Claiming your injuries are not serious enough to meet Florida's injury threshold or that your injuries fall within the adverse driver's BI policy limits if the fleeing driver was located.
- Advising you lack UM coverage or lesser UM coverage even though they cannot locate or produce your executed UM rejection/selection form required under Florida Law.
- Making low settlement offers before your treatment is complete and the full extent of your injuries is known.
- Asking for recorded statements that may later be used against you if details change or more injuries are discovered.
- Delaying payment on parts of the claim while disputing the rest.
These strategies are often used to reduce the value of your claim or pressure you into settling too early.
How Our Firm Counters Them
We zealously fight back against the insurance company tactics and file suit when necessary. Cindy Goldstein has over two decades of personal injury experience which shapes how we approach UM carriers in negotiations.
What Our Clients Say About Us
Ask Cindy Goldstein Law
How long do I have to file a hit and run injury claim in Florida?
UM claims are based on breach of contract/breach of an insurance policy and therefore, there is a 5 year statute of limitations to file suit against the UM carrier. If you are able to properly locate the "phantom" driver, there is a 2 year statute of limitations to file suit based on negligence.
What if the hit and run driver is never identified?
An unidentified hit-and-run driver may be treated as an uninsured motorist under Florida law, which may trigger your UM coverage, subject to your policy's terms.
You may recover medical bills beyond PIP, lost wages, pain and suffering, and other damages up to your UM policy limits. The driver never being identified is not a barrier to recovery as this is what UM coverage is for.
I only have minimum coverage in Florida. What may I recover after a hit and run?
Minimum-coverage drivers in Florida often have only $10,000 in PIP and no UM coverage, which may limit recovery to the PIP layer.
You may still pursue identification of the driver if possible, treat via PIP coverage, and make a collision claim for your vehicle if you did purchase collision coverage.
FAQs for Coral Springs Hit and Run Accident Lawyers
What makes a hit and run case in Coral Springs different from a regular car accident case?
Hit and run cases are different because a claim is made with your own insurance coverage instead of the at-fault driver's policy.
Since the driver fled or was never identified, these claims usually involve UM and PIP coverage. The cooperation clause of your own policy requires you to provide recorded statements and complete forms for your UM carrier that you normally have no requirement to provide to the at-fault driver's insurance company. Having an experienced personal injury lawyer assist you is important in determining the scope of your cooperation and navigating the claim.
Does my UM policy require physical contact between vehicles to cover a hit and run?
Not always. Some Florida UM policies include physical-contact requirements for hit-and-run claims, but enforceability depends on the policy language and the facts of the crash.
A lack of direct contact does not automatically bar recovery. What is significant is that another person's negligence is the proximate cause of your crash and injuries.
What if I was a pedestrian or cyclist hit by a driver who fled in Coral Springs?
You may still be covered under your own UM policy or a household relative's policy depending on the language of the policy. You may also be entitled to PIP coverage through the resident relative if you do not have your own auto policy.
How quickly should I call a hit and run lawyer after a Coral Springs crash?
You should call as soon as possible. Surveillance footage and witness evidence can disappear quickly, especially in busy areas like Sample Road, University Drive, and Atlantic Boulevard.
Early investigation improves the chances of identifying the driver and preserving evidence.
Does Cindy Goldstein speak with clients personally, or only the staff?
Yes, Cindy works directly with clients. She is personally involved from the initial consultation through case strategy and negotiations, while our team also supports clients in Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole.
Talk to a Coral Springs Hit and Run Lawyer Today
After a hit-and-run crash, many people think they have no case because the driver disappeared. That is not always true.
In many cases, you may still recover through your uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, PIP benefits, and other insurance options.
Insurance companies deal with hit-and-run claims every day. For most people, this is their first time facing the process. Having the right lawyer can make a major difference.
Our team helps hit-and-run victims across Coral Springs, Parkland, Margate, Coconut Creek, Tamarac, and throughout Florida.
Visit Cindy Goldstein Law at 10100 W. Sample Road, Suite 200, Coral Springs, FL 33065, or call 1-844-4LADYLAW or our local office at (954) 346-5420 today for a free case review.