Hit and run ticket: how much is a hit and run ticket?

Hit and run ticket: how much is a hit and run ticket?

A hit-and-run ticket is a legal charge that is pressed against drivers who leave the scene of an accident.

As a responsible driver, you have a duty of care towards other drivers and this includes stopping at the scene of an accident to exchanging personal information with other drivers, rendering help to the injured, and reporting the crash to the police.

In almost all states here in the USA, you will be given a hit-and-run ticket if you fail to fulfill your legal implications as far as an auto accident is concerned.

As an example, A hit and run ticket in Florida can result in a fine of up to $500 and 60 days in jail for property damage, or a $5,000 fine and up to five years in prison for accidents resulting in injuries. 

Further reading: How to beat a leaving the scene of an accident ticket?

Referring to the above example, the cost of a hit-and-run ticket varies from state to state and also depends on the circumstances of the accident. The legal charge for one crash may be fair whereas the same crime could lead to many years in prison in another state.

This article will cover example costs of hit-and-run tickets in a few selected states, and I will also tell you about one of the best defenses against leaving the scene of an accident charge.

What should you do if you are involved in a hit and run accident?

Any driver that is involved in a hit and run accident should endeavor to do all that is in their power to ensure their safety and protect their legal rights.

The following are steps you should follow after a hit and run accident:

1. Get medical attention. The first step is to ensure your safety and the safety of those who are involved in the accident. Call 911 to invite both police and medical emergency services to the scene of an accident.

2. Quickly gather details. Quickly note down information about the car that hit you. Make sure you take note of the license plate numbers, car color, model, make, and anything that will help to investigate the crime. 

3. Report the accident. You could be charged with either a felony or a misdemeanor for just failure to report an accident.

However, some states require you to report accidents that involve specific injuries or damages. For instance, the state of Illinois requires drivers to report crashes to the police only when there are injuries or property damages that exceed $1,500.

4. Find witnesses. To navigate any legal charges of a hit and run, you will need to provide proofs that are reasonable beyond doubt.

Remember, you are more likely to be disoriented soon after the accident, and gathering such pieces of evidence may be hard. Your only source of information could be the eyewitnesses who witnessed what happened at the scene.

5. Document the damage. This further enhances the pieces of evidence needed to navigate a hit and run crime. You will need to document the damages the hit and run driver did to your car and also take a record of any injuries incurred.

In short, a driver that is involved in a hit and run accident should move their vehicle to a safe place, check for injuries, call the police, exchange information, check the scene, and talk to eyewitnesses. They may also hire a lawyer to handle their insurance claim or lawsuit.

How does a hit and run affect your insurance?

A hit-and-run could have various impacts on your insurance coverage but this depends on many factors. For instance, are you the victim or the driver who left the scene of an accident? 

Further reading: After a hit and run, what to do? call insurance or lawyer?

Here are some ways a hit-and-run can affect your insurance:

1. If you are the accident victim, a hit and run accident may not have an effect on your rates. But you must have reported the crash to both the police and the insurance company.

2. A collision insurance policy will help you repair your car even if you are the at-fault driver in a hit-and-run accident. Your collision policy rates may or may not be affected.

3. Uninsured/underinsured coverage policy may also help cover your losses if the losses are due to a hit and run accident.

4. Liability insurance coverage doesn’t cover losses/damages due to a hit-and-run accident.

5. Personal injury protection insurance coverage will help you cover your losses/damages arising from a hit-and-run accident. Your rates may not be affected.

6. Finally, if you are found guilty in a hit and run accident, your insurance rates will be hiked. This is because you will have both an accident and a criminal offense on your records.

In short, A hit and run can impact your car insurance rates, depending on the circumstances and your policy. Collision coverage and UMPD can help cover damages, while liability coverage does not. 

Medical payments and UMBI can help cover medical bills. Reporting the incident to the police and your insurer immediately is crucial

Can you be charged with a hit and run if you didn’t realize you hit something?

Yes. You can still be charged with a hit and run if you didn’t realize you hit something. This is because this will depend on whether the other party proves beyond reasonable doubt that you were aware of the accident.

Further reading: 10 reasons you need a hit and run accident lawyer

However, you may not be charged if there were no damages or injuries. Absence of property damages and or injuries implies no hit and run accident and so no criminal consequences.

How much is a hit and run ticket?

How much is a hit and run ticket depends on where you live, and the circumstances of the accident. I already told you that a hit-and-run ticket means nothing but a legal charge for leaving the scene of an accident.

An example. A hit and run ticket in New Jersey varies depending on the severity of the accident. 

Leaving the scene of an accident in NJ resulting in injury or death carries a fine of $2,500 to $5,000, while a first offense with no injuries results in a fine of $200 to $400, up to 30 days in jail, and a six-month license suspension

Simply put, the cost of a hit and run ticket includes fines, prison sentence, and or suspension/revocation of your driving license. These penalties for leaving the scene of an accident largely depend on the outcome of the accident.

How much is a hit and run ticket in Texas?

As I already said, the legal charges of a hit and run depend on injuries, deaths, and or damages.

Below are how much a hit and run ticket will cost you in Texas.

1. Class C misdemeanor. This a legal charge you will face if the property damages are worth less than $200. Your fine will be up to $500.

2. Class B misdemeanor. This will be your legal charge in Texas if the accident caused property damages that exceed $200. This hit and run ticket could cost you up to 6 months in jail. 

3. Felony. In Texas, you will be charged with a felony if the accident resulted in injuries and or deaths. The penalties of a hit and run felony in Texas include fines of up to $10,000 and or up to 10 years in prison.

To sum it up, In Texas, a hit and run ticket penalty depends on the degree of damage or injury. It can range from a Class C misdemeanor with fines up to $500 to a third-degree felony with up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $10,000

How much is a hit and run ticket in Florida?

Just like in Texas, the cost of hit and run ticket in Florida largely depends on the harm or damages caused by the crash.

The following are the penalties for hit and run in Florida.

1. A hit-and-run accident with only property damages is a 2nd-degree misdemeanor. This will cost you up to $500 and or up to 6 months in jail.

2. In Florida, a hit and run accident involving injuries will result in charges of Second or third-degree felony. Penalties are; up to 5 years in prison and or a fine of up to $50,000.

3. You will face charges of 1st-degree felony if the hit and run resulted in serious bodily injuries. Penalties include a fine of up to $10,000 and up to 30 years in prison.

4. On the same note, a hit and run accident involving deaths will result in a 1st-degree felony. The potential cost of this hit and run ticket includes a fine of up to $10,000, and or a 30-year prison sentence.

In short, a hit-and-run ticket in Florida can range from a few thousand dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on the severity of the accident.

How much is a hit and run ticket in Georgia?

The cost of a hit-and-run ticket in Georgia largely depends on whether it’s your first crime in the last 5 years or not.

A first hit and run accident in Georgia can result in fines of at least $300 up to $1,000 and incarceration of up to one year. 

A second hit-and-run accident in five years can result in fines of at least $600 and up to $1,000 and incarceration of up to one year. A third hit-and-run accident in five years can result in fines of $1,000 and incarceration of up to one year.

In short, a and run ticket in Georgia can result in fines ranging from $300 to $1,000 and incarceration of up to one year for a first offense, with penalties increasing for subsequent offenses or if the accident results in injury or death

How much is a hit and run ticket in New York?

In New York, how much a hit-and-run ticket cost depends on the outcome of the auto accident. It will cost you up to $250 if the accident results in property damage or collision with a domestic animal.

The cost of a hit and run ticket for an accident that resulted in injuries is up to $5,000 plus criminal proceedings. For accidents in NY with no or minor injuries, there is always a surcharge of between $88 to $93 as a fine.

So, In New York, a hit and run ticket fine ranges from $0 to $250 for property damage and $250 to $5,000 for injuries. A mandatory surcharge of $88 to $93 is imposed.

How much is a hit and run ticket in Ontario?

I included this small section for my followers who live in Canada. However, I do not know if they will read this. In case you read this article up to this section, here we go!

A hit and run in Ontario can result in a fine between $400 and $2,000, imprisonment for up to six months, and a suspension of driver’s license for up to two years under the Highway Traffic Act. The penalty can be up to 10 years in jail under the Criminal Code of Canada. 

Conclusion.

A hit and run ticket simply refers to a legal charge imposed on drivers for leaving the scene of an accident. 

Once given to you, a hit and run driver could lead to fine, suspensions, and prison sentences. The consequences of fleeing the scene of an accident of course vary by localities.

How much a hit and run ticket costs depends on many factors like the outcomes of the auto accident, laws in your area of jurisdiction, your criminal records, and other circumstances of the accident.

Sources.

1. HOW TO FIGHT A FLEEING SCENE OF AN ACCIDENT CHARGE IN NY. nytrafficfirm. https://www.nytrafficfirm.com/traffic-law/criminal-charges/fleeing-from-an-accident/

2. What Are the Consequences of a Hit and Run in New York? sattlaw. https://www.sattlaw.com/what-are-the-consequences-of-a-hit-and-run-in-new-york/

3. Leaving The Scene Of An Accident (Hit And Run) Tickets. westchesterticketattorney. https://www.westchesterticketattorney.com/leaving-the-scene-of-an-accident-hit-and-run

4. Leaving the Scene of an Accident. driverdefenseteam. https://www.driverdefenseteam.com/tickets-in-illinois/leaving-the-scene-of-an-accident/