A rash of hit-and-run accidents have hit the Tampa metro area over the last several months. This past summer, a motorcycle rider was knocked from his bike by a truck in Tampa. The cyclist was then hit by another car, neither stopping to render aid, leaving the motorcyclist injured in the roadway.
Another man on a motorcycle was the victim of a hit-and-run in a Tampa intersection. And a disabled Pinellas Park woman was just recently hit while crossing the street in her motorized scooter.
None of the drivers who hit the three victims stopped to help or to even check on the condition of those whom they had hit. Both victims of intersection hit-and-run collisions were killed. The motorcyclist who was hit twice was put into a medically induced coma while doctors attempted to treat and repair his crushed and broken body; his condition today is unknown.
Tampa hit-and-run accident attorneys can assist the families of these types of horrific motor vehicle accidents understand their options related to insurance coverage when the identity of the at-fault driver is unknown. While police investigate the crime and pursue the driver responsible for injuring or killing another person, a Tampa lawyer can explain how the victim's on insurance may help with expenses related to treatment, recovery or other costs from the accident
Florida Hit-and-Run Accidents and Insurance
Florida has gained national notoriety for what's been dubbed its reckless car culture. Whether a driver commits a hit-and-run, hit-and-skip or simply leaves the scene of an accident, the name means little to the consequences that victims and their families are forced to live with. There are many reasons that a driver may not stop, including driving while impaired by alcohol, drugs or even road rage; and driving when he or she should not be, such as an unlicensed driver or driving on a suspended license. The simplest reason is fear: fear of going to jail, of paying fines of admitting to what just happened.
Despite the at-fault driver's reasons, the victim has no choice but to face the consequences of the actions of the driver who hit him or her. Without knowing the driver's identity, the victim cannot pursue the driver's insurance company or even the driver for the medical expenses he or she faces.
But, insurance policies generally include coverage for uninsured or underinsured motorists as well as separate coverage for personal injury and medical injury. Called underinsured, uninsured or personal injury protection (PIP) coverage, a victim's own auto insurance policy may provide the necessary financial resources to cover medical expenses. Florida uninsured motorist claim attorneys can help you understand your insurance policy and whether or not you carry coverage for a hit-and-run accident.
