FL insurance is F'd up

[snrusnak]

Sorry this has nothing to do with motorcycles. But yesterday a lady backed into me at a red light(who does that?). She didn't stop, she drove away as if nothing happened. I instinctively followed her. Anyway she eventually stopped(at her house) and when I called the police they say nothing can be done because we moved from the scene of the accident. WOW. So she has no insurance, hits me, leave the scene, and gets NOTHING and I pay for insurance, thought I did the right thing by going after her, call the police, and I get stuck with say $500-$1,500 worth of damage. Probably won't even be worth turning in to insurance after the deductible and possibility of rates rising. And I just switched company's and have only been with them for like 2 weeks.

I've called the police several times and talked to different people and nobody will help me. They all say all I can do is fill out a "short form" which puts it on record and that's all.

Similar things have happened to people I know who got hit by uninsured drivers and they got screwed and nothing happens to the other person. FL is so F'd up with insurance laws.

Sorry just ranting...

 

[jaimz]

cant you file it as a hit & run?

 

[snrusnak]

The police won't do anything. I said what about driving illegally with no insurance, what about leaving the scene of the accident(hit & run), and they said that once I left to go after her it was out of the hands of the police and it became a civil matter between me and her.

Thankfully her husband is actually talking with me and not just walking away(which he could at this point). Seems like he wants to make it right, but he doesn't want to dish out any money(probably doesn't have any). Doubt I'll get anything from them.

I'm amazed that the police won't do ANYTHING at all. Yeah I guess I should have sat there(while she gets away) and how would that have been any better? Yes I'd have a police report but she would have gotten away and I'd still be stuck with it.

What if you're in a accident and both cars pull off into a parking lot, then is it a civil matter since you moved the cars?

Talk about BS.

 

[jaimz]

they said that once I left to go after her it was out of the hands of the police

According to the hit and run report you should file, you didn't leave. lol

Honest mistake, I'm sure I would have done the same thing. That really blows.

The issue with a civil matter is that you can't prove it I suspect. it is good that her husband is talking to you about it.

In Ohio if you're in a small accident with no injuries they encourage you to move it off the road. I think the issue you're having is that an officer can no longer come assess the situation in the place it happened, or with both vehicles present.

See.. honestly the fact that the police won't do anything is actually good in my eyes.

Whats to stop me from ramming into my own car with something, then calling the police and tell them you did it. unfortunately the law has to err on the side of caution do to dishonest people.

 

[snrusnak]

I completely understand but when I followed her and we stopped in her driveway, I called the police and they wouldn't even come down to see what was going on. The fact that they don't care about her driving illegally without insurance, leaving the scene, etc. just proves that they just didn't want to do anything and didn't want to get involved. IMO me leaving after her was their excuse to get out of it.

I think 50% of people would have followed. It didn't even cross my mind not to follow. All I was thinking when she made the turn was "go get the license plate".