Being struck by a driver who speeds away from the scene can change your life in an instant. After a crash, you’re left with painful injuries, mounting medical bills, and uncertainty about who is responsible.
ortunately, a skilled Melbourne hit-and-run accident lawyer can help restore clarity and guide you toward recovering the compensation you deserve.
At The Schiller Kessler Group, our attorneys have spent more than thirty years proudly advocating for injured Floridians. Our seasoned team of Melbourne car accident lawyers understands the chaos that follows a hit-and-run accident.
Contact us today to schedule a free consultation where you can discuss your case and learn how we can help protect your rights.
Steps to Take After a Hit-and-Run Accident in Melbourne
Your physical safety is the top priority after any collision, especially one involving a fleeing driver. Seek medical care as soon as possible, even if your injuries seem minor. Many conditions, including concussions, soft-tissue trauma, and internal injuries, may not present symptoms right away.
Once you have received medical attention and are safe, several steps can strengthen your claim and help authorities locate the driver who fled.
You will need to contact the Melbourne Police Department, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, or Florida Highway Patrol to report the accident. Law enforcement will report to the scene and conduct an investigation into the crash.
Meanwhile, your Melbourne personal injury lawyer can launch a parallel, more detailed inquiry. Your legal team may:
- Gather and review surveillance footage from traffic lights, nearby businesses, residential doorbell cameras, or parking lots
- Speak with eyewitnesses who saw the crash occur or observed the fleeing vehicle
- Examine physical evidence such as broken vehicle parts, paint scrapes, tire tracks, or impact marks
- Collaborate with accident reconstruction specialists to understand the mechanics of the collision
You can contribute significantly by writing down every detail you recall about the other vehicle. Details you can note include:
- The vehicle’s make, model, and color
- Any distinctive features or damage
- The direction the driver headed after the crash
- Partial license plate numbers or state designations
Even seemingly insignificant details can help investigators narrow down potential suspects.
If exhaustive efforts fail to uncover the identity of the at-fault driver, you will likely still have options for pursuing compensation.
Your attorney can assist you in filing a claim through your own uninsured motorist (UM) coverage, which is designed specifically for circumstances where the responsible party is either unknown or uninsured.
More people choose The Schiller Kessler Group because they know that we're a cut above other personal injury law firms.
How a Hit-and-Run Attorney in Melbourne Helps You Pursue Compensation
After a hit-and-run, victims often face substantial financial, physical, and emotional hardship. An experienced Melbourne hit-and-run accident attorney can help guide you through the claims process and work to secure maximum compensation.
Our legal team can provide:
- A thorough investigation: We examine every aspect of your crash, including police documentation, photographs, medical records, and video surveillance. Our goal is to compile a complete picture of what occurred.
- Witness outreach and interviews: Locating and speaking with witnesses promptly is critical. We work diligently to find anyone who may have information about the collision or the vehicle involved.
- Consultation with medical and technical experts: Physicians, biomechanical engineers, accident reconstruction experts, and other specialists may be brought in to strengthen your claim and substantiate the extent of your injuries.
- Insurance coverage review: We analyze all possible avenues of recovery, including your PIP benefits, UM coverage, and any applicable third-party liability claims.
- Complete valuation of your losses: Our team carefully calculates all available compensatory damages. These damages may include medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering, long-term medical care, and diminished quality of life.
- Aggressive negotiation and court representation: We manage all communication with insurance adjusters, protecting you from lowball offers and delay tactics. If negotiations fail, we are fully prepared to take your case to trial.
Throughout your case, we are committed to keeping you informed. You will receive regular updates and have direct access to your attorney whenever questions arise. Our goal is to provide both skilled legal representation and genuine support during a difficult time.
No matter what time of day it is, you can contact The Schiller Kessler Group to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation.
Our Melbourne Lawyers Work on a Contingency Fee Basis
At The Schiller Kessler Group, we believe every injured person deserves strong legal representation without worrying about costs. Our Melbourne hit-and-run attorneys operate exclusively on a contingency fee basis.
What this means for our clients is that we only get paid if we win compensation for you. You pay nothing up front, and we do not charge an hourly rate. Our fee is simply a percentage of your settlement or court award. If we do not recover compensation, you owe us nothing.
This approach allows clients across all financial backgrounds to work with experienced legal counsel without additional financial strain.
Don’t Miss Florida’s Two-Year Deadline for Filing a Personal Injury Claim
In 2023, Florida shortened the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits from four years to two years. This deadline applies to victims of hit-and-run accidents in Melbourne and across the state.
If you miss this two-year window, you may permanently lose your right to pursue compensation, even if the driver is later identified or additional evidence surfaces.
Acting quickly has other advantages as well. Evidence such as camera footage, eyewitness recollections, and physical debris becomes harder to obtain with each passing day. Reaching out to a Melbourne hit-and-run lawyer as early as possible can significantly strengthen your case.
Florida’s Modified Comparative Negligence Rule
Florida applies a modified comparative negligence standard to personal injury claims. This rule can reduce the amount of compensation you receive if you are found partially responsible for the accident. You may recover damages only if you are 50% or less at fault, and your percentage of fault will reduce your available compensation proportionally.
Insurance companies often try to exploit this rule by shifting blame onto victims. A knowledgeable Melbourne hit-and-run accident attorney can challenge these strategies and work to ensure you are not unfairly assigned fault.
Schedule Your Free Consultation With a Hit-and-Run Accident Lawyer Serving Melbourne Today
If you were injured by a driver who fled the scene, you deserve answers, support, and justice. At The Schiler Kessler Group, we are committed to standing by your side from the moment you contact us until your case is fully resolved.
Our team has helped more than 30,000 accident victims recover the compensation they need, and we are prepared to fight just as hard for you.
Call us today or submit our online form to schedule your free, no-obligation case review. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can begin investigating your accident and pursuing the financial compensation you need to move forward.
Injured? Call The Aggressive Attorneys Today