Hit and Run in Miami: Your Rights and What to Do Next

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.

Florida leads the nation in fatal hit-and-run accidents, and Miami-Dade County accounts for a disproportionate share of them. According to AAA Foundation data, Florida has more hit-and-run fatalities than any other state — and the trend has been worsening for over a decade.

If you've been the victim of a hit and run in Miami — whether you were driving, riding a motorcycle, cycling, or walking — the experience is infuriating and disorienting. The person who hurt you drove away. You may be injured, your vehicle may be damaged, and you're left wondering: what now? Here's exactly what to do and how to protect your rights.

Immediate Steps After a Hit and Run

1. Stay at the Scene and Call 911

Even though the other driver left, you must stay. Leaving makes you a hit-and-run driver too — even if you were the victim. Call 911 immediately. Tell the dispatcher it was a hit and run and request police response.

2. Document Everything You Can Remember

While your memory is fresh, record:

• Vehicle description: Make, model, color, approximate year
• License plate: Even a partial plate is valuable — 3-4 characters can be enough for police to identify the vehicle
• Driver description: Gender, approximate age, any distinguishing features
• Direction of travel: Which way did they go?
• Time and exact location: Cross streets, landmarks
• Witnesses: Did anyone else see it? Get their contact information immediately — witnesses leave quickly

3. Look for Cameras

This is critical in Miami, where surveillance cameras are everywhere. Look for:

• Traffic cameras: Miami-Dade has an extensive traffic camera network, especially on major corridors
• Business security cameras: Gas stations, restaurants, banks, and convenience stores near the accident scene
• Residential doorbell cameras: Ring, Nest, and similar devices on nearby homes
• Dashcam footage: Other drivers who stopped may have captured the incident

Tell the responding officer about any cameras you've identified. Video evidence is often the key to identifying hit-and-run drivers.

4. Seek Medical Attention

Even if you feel fine, get checked out — and remember Florida's 14-day PIP deadline. Adrenaline masks injuries, and documenting your medical condition immediately after the accident strengthens any future claim.

How Police Investigate Hit and Runs in Miami

Miami-Dade Police has a dedicated Traffic Homicide Unit that investigates serious hit-and-run cases. For non-fatal hit and runs, investigation varies based on severity and available evidence:

• Fatal hit and run: Full investigation, forensic evidence collection, area canvass for cameras, media appeals for witnesses. These cases receive significant resources and have a relatively high solve rate.
• Serious injury hit and run: Active investigation, camera review, vehicle debris analysis. Priority depends on caseload.
• Property damage only: Honestly, these get minimal investigation unless you provide strong leads (plate number, clear video). The volume of hit-and-run reports in Miami-Dade overwhelms available detective resources.

Your proactive evidence gathering matters. The more information you provide to police — especially camera footage and witness contacts — the higher the likelihood of identifying the driver.

Criminal Penalties for Hit and Run in Florida

Scenario	Charge	Maximum Penalty
Property damage only	2nd degree misdemeanor	60 days jail, $500 fine
Injury (non-serious)	3rd degree felony	5 years prison, $5,000 fine
Serious bodily injury	2nd degree felony	15 years prison, $10,000 fine
Death	1st degree felony	30 years prison, $10,000 fine, mandatory 4-year minimum

Florida takes hit and run seriously — at least on paper. A fatal hit and run carries a mandatory minimum of four years in prison, which cannot be reduced. Despite these penalties, hit and run remains epidemic in Miami, largely because drivers flee hoping to avoid DUI charges or because they're driving without insurance or a valid license.

Getting Compensated: Your Insurance Options

Here's the practical question: if the driver who hit you is never found, how do you pay for your injuries and vehicle damage?

PIP Coverage (Automatic)

Your PIP coverage applies regardless of whether the other driver is identified. The standard $10,000 PIP benefit covers 80% of medical bills and 60% of lost wages — same as any other accident.

Uninsured Motorist Coverage (Critical)

This is where Uninsured Motorist (UM) coverage becomes the most important line item on your insurance policy. In Florida, a hit-and-run driver is legally treated as an uninsured motorist. If you carry UM coverage, it kicks in when PIP is exhausted — covering additional medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

If you don't have UM coverage, your options are severely limited. PIP's $10,000 may be all you can recover, regardless of how serious your injuries are. This is why every Miami insurance guide (including ours) strongly recommends UM coverage at $100,000/$300,000 minimum.

Collision Coverage (For Vehicle Damage)

If you have collision coverage, it will pay for your vehicle repairs or replacement, minus your deductible. Without collision coverage, you're paying out of pocket for vehicle damage in a hit and run — the at-fault driver's insurance (which you can't access because you can't identify them) would normally cover this.

MedPay Coverage

Medical Payments coverage supplements your PIP by covering additional medical expenses regardless of fault. If you carry MedPay, it provides an extra layer of coverage that can help bridge the gap between PIP and your actual medical bills.

What If the Driver Is Found Later?

If police identify the hit-and-run driver — even months later — your legal options expand significantly:

• Their insurance: You can file a claim against their liability insurance for the full extent of your damages
• Civil lawsuit: You can sue them personally for all damages, including pain and suffering
• Restitution: If they're convicted criminally, the court can order them to pay restitution to you
• Your UM carrier: If you've already been paid by your UM coverage, your insurance company may pursue subrogation against the identified driver

Why Dashcams Are Essential in Miami

If there's one takeaway from this article beyond "carry UM coverage," it's this: get a dashcam. In a hit-and-run scenario, a dashcam may capture the other vehicle's license plate, the make and model, and the exact circumstances of the crash. This single piece of evidence can transform an unsolvable case into an identified driver with accessible insurance.

Quality dashcams start under $100. Given Miami's hit-and-run epidemic, it's the most cost-effective protection you can install. Check out our guide to the best dashcams for Miami drivers.

Statute of Limitations

In Florida, you have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit (recently reduced from four years by tort reform legislation). For property damage claims, you have four years. These deadlines apply regardless of whether the hit-and-run driver has been identified.

If you've been the victim of a hit and run in Miami and sustained anything beyond minor injuries, consulting with a personal injury attorney is strongly recommended — especially to ensure you're maximizing your UM coverage and meeting all applicable deadlines. Most consultations are free, and attorneys who handle hit-and-run cases understand the unique challenges of pursuing compensation when the at-fault party has fled.