Gator game day should end with a win—not an accident. If an out-of-state driver hits you during a busy UF football weekend, a Gainesville accident attorney can help you navigate the insurance and legal challenges that may follow.
It’s game day in Gainesville. Thousands of fans have poured into town for Florida Gator football. Traffic is backed up around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, West University Avenue is crowded with pedestrians, and visitors unfamiliar with Gainesville are navigating streets, searching for parking and trying to make kickoff.
Then a driver from Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee—or somewhere much farther away—misses a turn, looks down at GPS, runs a light or pulls into a crowded intersection. Maybe you’re driving. Maybe you’re crossing the street on foot. In seconds, your football weekend becomes an ambulance ride, damaged vehicle and an insurance claim involving a driver who may be hundreds of miles away by Monday morning.
Accidents involving tourists and out-of-state drivers can create complications that ordinary Gainesville crashes may not. In this article, the Gainesville accident attorneys at Avera & Smith provide information on what to do if you are involved in this type of accident and why you should call our law firm right away.
Why are accidents more likely to happen around Gainesville during UF football weekends?
Home football games bring large numbers of visitors into Gainesville and concentrate vehicles and pedestrians around the University of Florida and Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
Visitors may also be driving unfamiliar roads while following GPS directions, looking for parking or navigating heavy pedestrian traffic. Areas around West University Avenue, SW 13th Street, Gale Lemerand Drive and other roads surrounding the University of Florida campus can become especially busy.
As a result, out-of-town drivers can be distracted, make unsafe or unexpected turns, or drive while impaired. Over the years, the Gainesville accident attorneys have handled a number of accident cases caused by negligent drivers during UF football weekends.
What should you do if a tourist hits you during a UF football game weekend?
First, prioritize your safety and medical needs. Call 911, report the crash and seek medical attention if you have been injured. If you can safely do so, photograph the vehicles, intersection, traffic signals, license plates, injuries and surrounding area. Get contact information from witnesses as well.
Pay particular attention to the other driver's documentation. Florida law requires a driver involved in a qualifying crash to provide identifying information, including their name, address and vehicle registration information, and to exhibit their driver's license upon request if available.
Record the driver's:
- Full name and home address
- Driver's license and issuing state
- License plate and issuing state
- Insurance company and policy information
- Vehicle owner, if different from the driver
- Phone number and contact information
This information can become particularly important when the other driver leaves Florida shortly after the accident.
Why can an accident with an out-of-state driver become complicated?
An accident with an out-of-state driver can raise practical insurance and legal questions that aren't immediately obvious at the scene. The driver's insurance policy may have been issued in another state, the vehicle may be owned or rented by someone else, and the driver and witnesses may return home soon after the game.
There may also be questions about which insurance policies apply, where a claim should be pursued, how an out-of-state insurer handles the Florida accident, and how evidence or testimony can be obtained after people leave Gainesville.
That makes early investigation especially valuable. Evidence around a busy game-day area can disappear quickly. Surveillance footage may be overwritten, vehicles repaired, and witnesses—many of whom may also be visiting Gainesville—can become difficult to locate.
The Gainesville accident attorneys at Avera & Smith can investigate the collision, identify applicable insurance coverage, preserve available evidence and deal directly with insurers while you focus on your recovery.
What if the tourist who hit you had been drinking?
Tailgating, bars, parties and alcohol can all be part of college football weekends. If alcohol is involved in a crash, however, the consequences can be serious.
Under Florida law, a person may be guilty of DUI when their normal faculties are impaired by alcohol or specified substances, or when their blood- or breath-alcohol level reaches the statutory threshold of 0.08.
If you suspect the driver who hit you has been drinking, do not confront them. Call law enforcement and tell the responding officer what you observed—such as the smell of alcohol, slurred speech or erratic driving. Let law enforcement investigate possible impairment.
Should you get medical care even if you feel okay after the crash?
Yes. Some injuries may not be obvious immediately after a collision, particularly when adrenaline is high.
Avera & Smith advises Florida crash victims to seek medical attention promptly, as receiving qualifying care within 14 days can be important to eligibility for Florida Personal Injury Protection benefits. Keep copies of medical records, bills, prescriptions and information about missed work.
Should you speak with the tourist’s insurance company?
Be cautious about providing recorded statements or agreeing to an early settlement before you understand your injuries and legal options.
An insurer may contact you quickly—even while you're still receiving treatment. If you give a recorded statement, what you say can be used against you. We advise all accident victims to speak with an accident attorney before talking with the insurance company.
Can a Gainesville attorney handle a claim against someone who lives in another state?
The fact that the driver went home after the Gator game does not make the accident disappear. A crash that occurred in Gainesville still creates a Florida injury claim, although the applicable insurance and procedural issues depend on the particular facts.
The Gainesville accident attorneys at Avera & Smith can determine which parties and policies may be involved and handle communications with an out-of-state driver and insurer.
Injured during a UF football weekend?
Call 352-372-9999 for a free consultation with Gainesville’s premier injury law firm
When the driver who injured you is already headed back across the state line, you want attorneys who know Gainesville, Alachua County and Florida injury law.
Avera & Smith's Gainesville accident attorneys have represented injured people in North Central Florida for more than 70 years. Our firm handles investigation, evidence preservation, insurance negotiations and litigation. We fight for the full compensation you need for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and long-term recovery.
We proudly call Gainesville home, with our office located at 2814 SW 13th Street, Gainesville, FL 32608, just south of the University of Florida campus. If you were hit by an out-of-state driver while attending a UF football game, talk with Avera & Smith about what happened and what options may be available.
Request a free case review through our online form or call 352-372-9999 to speak with one of our attorneys.
Frequently asked questions about Gainesville accidents involving tourists
What if the tourist was driving a rental car?
Rental-car crashes can involve additional parties and insurance questions. Preserve the rental company's information and any insurance documents the driver provides, and have an attorney evaluate which coverage may apply.
What if I was a pedestrian when the tourist hit me near UF?
Pedestrians can suffer severe injuries even in relatively low-speed collisions. Call 911, obtain medical care and preserve evidence about the vehicle, driver, witnesses and location. Pedestrian safety has been a particular focus of improvements along West University Avenue near the UF campus.
What if the driver leaves Florida before I make a claim?
Their departure does not prevent a claim. It can, however, make identifying insurance, preserving evidence and maintaining contact with the driver more complicated, which is one reason to seek legal advice promptly.
What if I am also visiting Gainesville for the football game?
You do not necessarily have to live in Gainesville to pursue a claim arising from a Gainesville accident. An attorney can evaluate the specific circumstances and explain how your home state and insurance coverage affect the process.
If you or a loved one was injured in a Gainesville accident, contact the accident attorneys at Avera & Smith for a free case evaluation. Call 352-372-9999 today. Early action protects the evidence that can make the difference in your claim.
