Is Hit And Run A Misdemeanor Or A Felony?

Late at night, when no one else was around, you were driving from one gig to another. While backing your car out of a parking spot, you hit the back bumper of another car in the parking lot. In your overworked, sleep-deprived state, the only focus you could muster was to concentrate on getting to your next gig, so that you could get enough money to pay the bills that are coming due sooner than you care to think about. After you were about a mile away, you start to wonder if what you just did was hit and run, which you know is illegal. Did you commit a crime? When you set your browser to incognito mode and search for Florida hit and run laws, everything you find seems to focus on personal injury claims; its target audience seem to be people whose cars got hit by a driver who immediately left the scene. Some of it assumes that they will never find the person who hit them, but what if that person is you? The severity of penalties you can face for leaving the scene of an accident where you are at fault or where someone else got injured depends on the details of the accident, but if you were involved in a hit and run accident, it can never hurt to contact a West Palm Beach property crimes lawyer.

Criminal Penalties for Leaving the Scene of an Accident in Florida

Florida law requires both drivers to stop, exchange contact information, and contact the police if they are involved in a collision that involves bodily injuries or costly damage to property. Failure to do this is the criminal offense of hit and run, also known as leaving the scene of an accident. These are some possible consequences of hit and run in Florida:

• Hit and run is a second-degree misdemeanor if there were no injuries, but you caused property damage. The maximum penalty is 60 days in county jail and a $500 fine.
• Felony hit and run occurs when someone suffers physical injuries serious enough to require medical treatment. It can be a second-degree or third-degree felony depending on factors such as the severity of the injuries, and the maximum prison time for a conviction is five years.
• Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death is a first-degree felony. It carries a mandatory minimum sentence of four years in prison and a maximum sentence of 30 years.

People who get charged with leaving the scene of an accident might also face other charges, such as reckless driving, DUI, or driving with a suspended license. It is sometimes possible to get the court to drop the other charges if you plead guilty to hit and run as part of a plea deal.

Contact a West Palm Beach Criminal Defense Lawyer Today

Attorney William Wallshein has more than 41 years of experience, including five years as a prosecutor in Palm Beach County.  Contact William Wallshein P.A. in West Palm Beach, Florida to discuss your case.

Source:

mentalfloss.com/transportation/hit-and-run-accident-rates-by-state