If you drive on Florida roads, you already know how heavy traffic can be. More than 200,000 motor vehicle accidents occur in Florida every year. While all accidents can cause injury, incidents involving commercial trucks may cause even worse injuries and death. The potential severity of commercial truck accidents makes hit-and-run accidents both dangerous and frustrating.
Reasons truck drivers leave the scene
Commerical vehicle accidents may occur because the truck driver did not realize that they collided with your truck. Commercial vehicles typically weigh more and take up significant space on the road. They may genuinely not have seen your vehicle, and they may have left the scene of the accident before realizing that they caused any damage to you or your vehicle.
Other hit-and-run accidents may occur on purpose. Some of the most common reasons that commercial truck drivers commit a hit-and-run accident include:
• Using drugs or alcohol
• Not carrying insurance
• Trying to avoid being caught for another illegal activity, such as reckless driving, poorly maintained trucks or incorrectly stored cargo.
Your response
Being involved in a hit-and-run often causes drivers to panic. Whenever possible, you should try to remain calm and follow these guidelines:
• Stay at the scene, but do not remain on the road where you could potentially be hit by another vehicle.
• Don’t move your vehicle.
• Call the police.
• Write down any descriptions of the truck that you or witnesses remember.
• Collect contact information for all witnesses.
• Take photographs or video evidence of the wreck and scene.
State penalties
Florida law requires all drivers involved in an accident to stop and exchange information with other drivers. Drivers must also “render aid,” which means the driver must check to see if anyone was harmed in the accident. Drivers who fail to do so may be subjected to up to five years in prison, a loss of their driver’s license, and up to $5,000 in fines.