Florida Law Requires You To Stay At The Scene
Brian O Sutter
Accident Lawyers
Sadly, one of the reasons that societies like the United States require laws in place is to have something enforceable—and punishable—when common decency is not enough to compel people to do the right thing. One of the most common examples of this in modern life is the “hit and run.” Put simply, when a driver gets into an accident, whether it is hitting a piece of property, a person, or even another vehicle, the driver then flees. In these cases, it’s almost never ignorance, and is a deliberate attempt to evade whatever financial or legal consequences may be due.Changes For The Better
Sadly, Florida has, for years, had a pretty significant hit and run rate. 25% of accidents occurring in the state involved drivers in the incident fleeing the scene. In some cases, those that fled the scene were responsible for serious injuries or even death. The “last straw” was in 2012, when Aaron Cohen, a 31 year old cyclist, was struck in central Florida, in February, and died.
The person who struck and killed Aaron Cohen was, it was later determined, drunk. However, because the charge was for a hit-and-run and not a DUI manslaughter charge, the legal punishment was much milder, resulting in only a two year sentence.
On July 1, 2014, Florida created the Aaron Cohen Life Protection Act, a new law that gave more weight to people that flee the scene of an accident. Now, when someone flees the scene, it’s possible to face consequences such as:
Property Damage
If a driver only inflicts some property damage, such as knocking down a fence, or even driving through a home, but with no actual injury, that driver faces, at minimum, a second degree misdemeanor charge. There may also be up to 60 days in jail, as well as a $500 fine.
Injury
If people are injured as a result of the accident and the driver flees, this is now considered a second or third degree felony depending on the severity of the injuries. The driver’s license may be revoked for up to three years, with a maximum possible jail sentence of five years, as well as a $5000 fine.
Death
Should a driver cause an actual fatality and then flee the scene, this is now considered a first degree felony. This will result in a license revocation of three years, at minimum, a four year jail sentence, at minimum, with a maximum of 30 years, and a $10,000 fine.
If you’re in an accident where you don’t even get a chance to interact with the other party because they’ve driven away, don’t just let it go. Talk to the police and, just as importantly, talk to an accident lawyer with experience in automobile incidents. An auto accident with a responsible party that both causes injuries and then flees the scene should be held accountable in court. There are both legal and financial ramifications that need to be addressed and good legal counsel can achieve this.