If an investigator has called, left a card, or asked who was driving, your mind may already be racing toward the worst possible outcome. A request for answers does not mean the case is already proved.
A plate match or damaged vehicle is only part of the story. Florida law still requires proof about the driver, knowledge of a crash, the harm alleged, and what happened at the scene.
The first conversation is free. Accepted matters are handled by Mark J. Miller or Rick S. Jacobs.
A hit-and-run investigation can begin with a tag, a damaged vehicle, a witness account, or video. None of those facts alone answers every question. Start with the request that is actually in front of you.
Save the name, agency, callback information, message, and time received. Keep any citation, notice, or court paper, and do not miss a listed court date.
Before giving a detailed or recorded account, understand why questions are being asked and what evidence already exists. Do not fill gaps by guessing.
Do not repair, clean, sell, conceal, or alter it. Keep current photographs, repair history, insurance messages, and information showing who had access.
Do not coordinate stories or erase messages. A registered owner is not automatically the driver. Preserve the record so the facts can be reviewed accurately.
You may be replaying a few confusing seconds while worrying about your job, license, family, and the person on the other side of the crash. We understand the weight of that uncertainty. The next step should be based on evidence, not panic.
Our Pompano Beach criminal defense lawyers look at the complete chain: the reported crash, the vehicle, the person accused, the claimed harm, and the conduct that followed.
Registration identifies an owner, not necessarily the person behind the wheel. Video, witnesses, phone or location records, admissions, access to the vehicle, and other evidence may be compared.
Florida's felony statute punishes a willful violation. The nature of the impact, sound, road conditions, vehicle damage, visibility, and the driver's actions may matter when knowledge is disputed.
Property damage, injury, serious bodily injury, and death lead to different classifications. Medical records and timing may affect how an alleged injury is evaluated.
A stop nearby, a return, an information exchange, a request for medical assistance, or a report to police can be important. The statutory duty depends on the type of crash.
Body-camera video, interview recordings, surveillance, repair and insurance records, vehicle inspections, and the wording of reports should be reviewed for accuracy and admissibility.
Florida law contains specific protections and exceptions for reports and statements made for the purpose of completing a required crash report. Do not assume every conversation has the same legal treatment. The purpose, timing, custody status, warnings, and questions asked can matter. Read section 316.066.
“Hit and run” is not the statutory title of one single offense. The location of the crash, whether property was attended, and the level of alleged injury can change both the required conduct and the charge classification.
When a crash results only in damage to a vehicle or property attended by a person, the driver must stop, return if necessary, remain, and complete the information duties in section 316.062.
Up to 60 days in jail and a fine up to $500 are general statutory maximums.
The driver must stop and either locate the owner or leave a conspicuous written notice with identifying information, then notify the nearest authorized police authority without unnecessary delay.
The same general maximum jail term and fine apply, but the required steps are different.
A driver involved in a crash resulting in an injury other than serious bodily injury must stop and remain until the information and reasonable-assistance duties are fulfilled.
The general statutory maximum is 5 years in prison and a fine up to $5,000.
Florida defines serious bodily injury by a substantial risk of death, serious disfigurement, or protracted loss or impairment of a bodily member or organ.
The general statutory maximum is 15 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
A willful violation involving a crash that results in death is classified more severely. The statute includes a 4-year mandatory minimum, subject to the statute's limited departure provision.
The general statutory maximum is 30 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000.
A conviction under the injury, serious-injury, or death provisions requires at least a 3-year driver-license revocation. The statute also addresses reinstatement requirements.
Read the current text of section 316.027, section 316.061, section 316.062, and section 316.063. Maximums are not predictions of an outcome.
Some matters begin with an immediate citation or arrest. Others develop after investigators compare reports, video, vehicle information, and statements. The paperwork in the actual matter controls.
Law enforcement records the location, damage, people involved, witnesses, injuries, and available video or physical evidence.
A tag, description, debris, paint transfer, camera, repair inquiry, or insurance contact may point investigators toward a vehicle.
The owner or possible driver may receive a call, card, visit, written request, citation, or request for an interview or vehicle inspection.
The evidence and alleged harm shape whether a case is filed, which statute is used, and whether the matter is treated as a misdemeanor or felony.
The defense tests identity, knowledge, legal duties, harm classification, statements, and procedure while preparing for negotiation, motions, or trial.
People often call while they are still trying to understand what happened, what an investigator wants, or whether another person had access to the car. That is normal. Start with the information you have and be honest about what you do not remember.
Do not repair, sell, discard, erase, edit, or conceal anything because it feels unhelpful. Preserving the record protects the ability to evaluate it accurately.
Keep investigator cards, voicemails, texts, citations, notices to appear, arrest paperwork, bond papers, and court dates.
Preserve current photographs of the vehicle, prior damage or repair records, dash-camera files, parking receipts, towing records, and any scene images.
Keep relevant phone messages, app or work records, calendar entries, and other information that may help show who had the vehicle and where people were.
Bring claim numbers, adjuster contacts, recorded-statement requests, letters, medical information you received, and any request to inspect the car.
Accepted matters are handled by Mark J. Miller or Rick S. Jacobs. Staff, investigators, and qualified experts may assist, but the responsible partner remains involved in strategy and important decisions.
Mark has been a member of The Florida Bar since 1995. He served as an Assistant State Attorney and reports more than 70 jury trials.
Read Mark Miller's Bio → Rick has been a member of The Florida Bar since 1995. He served as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County and reports more than 160 jury trials.
Read Rick Jacobs's Bio →You do not need a polished account before calling. Tell us what contact you received, what you know, what remains unclear, and what you are worried about losing. The first conversation is free, and the scope and fee should be clear before representation begins.
Pompano Beach currently receives law-enforcement services through the Broward Sheriff's Office. A property-only misdemeanor and an injury-based felony can move through different Broward court divisions, so the citation, case number, and court notice matter.
Call 954-465-8733These answers are a starting point. The exact statute, alleged harm, evidence, and court papers can change the analysis.
Do not ignore official paperwork or a court date. Before giving a detailed or recorded account, however, it can be important to understand the purpose of the contact and the evidence already collected. Counsel can help decide whether and how a response should occur.
Knowledge can be a central issue. The State may look to impact force, sound, damage, visibility, statements, and conduct after the event. A low-speed contact, confusing road condition, or disputed physical connection should be evaluated against the actual evidence.
Ownership does not by itself establish the driver's identity. Investigators may compare access to the car, witness descriptions, video, phone or location evidence, work or parking records, and statements. Preserve the records and do not coordinate an account with anyone.
No. A violation involving only damage to attended or unattended property is generally a second-degree misdemeanor under sections 316.061 or 316.063. Injury, serious bodily injury, or death can lead to felony classifications under section 316.027.
Section 316.063 has a specific unattended-property process. The driver must stop, locate the owner or leave the required conspicuous written notice, and notify police without unnecessary delay. Whether the available facts show compliance should be reviewed carefully.
The duty to stop and provide information is separate from civil fault for causing the crash. Fault can still affect the evidence, context, restitution, insurance issues, and negotiations, but it does not automatically answer whether the statutory duties were fulfilled.
A conviction under the injury, serious bodily injury, or death provisions of section 316.027 requires a revocation of at least three years. Property-only allegations have different rules. The exact charge and driving record should be reviewed before assuming the result.
A leaving-the-scene allegation may overlap with broader criminal traffic, license, DUI, or felony questions. Follow the issue that matches the actual paperwork.
