Hit And Run (FSGI) Lawyer In Beaumont, TX
Failure to stop and give information, or FSGI, is the Texas hit and run charge for a collision where only vehicles were damaged. It is a criminal offense, not a ticket, and this page covers the driver's duties, the two penalty levels, the defenses and the process in Jefferson County.
What Is Failure To Stop And Give Information In Texas?
Failure to stop and give information (FSGI) is the Texas hit and run offense for a collision that damages a vehicle with no injury. Under Transportation Code §§ 550.022 and 550.024 a driver must stop and give name, address, registration and insurance details, or leave a note on an unattended vehicle. It is a Class C misdemeanor under $200 in damage and a Class B at $200 or more.
Source: Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550, Accidents and Accident Reports
Understanding Texas Law
How Does Texas Law Define FSGI?
FSGI is the charge used when a driver leaves a collision that damaged a vehicle and nobody was hurt. The duties come from several sections of Transportation Code chapter 550, and the state has to show the driver skipped at least one of them.
Under § 550.022, a driver whose vehicle collides with another vehicle that is driven or attended has to:
- Stop at the scene, or as close to it as possible without blocking traffic more than necessary
- Return to the scene right away if the vehicle did not stop there
- Remain until the information duties of § 550.023 are met
The information duty is specific.
The driver must give a name and address, the registration number of the vehicle, and the name of the motor vehicle liability insurer, and must show a license on request if it is available.
Parked and unattended vehicles fall under § 550.024. The driver must locate the owner or operator, or leave a note in a conspicuous spot on the damaged vehicle with a name, an address and a description of what happened. Striking a fence, sign or mailbox is covered by § 550.025.
What the state must prove beyond a reasonable doubt:
- The accused drove a vehicle involved in a collision
- The collision damaged another vehicle
- The driver knew of the collision
- The driver did not stop, return or give the required information
- The total damage figure, which sets the level
Penalties And Consequences
What Are The Penalties For FSGI Hit And Run In Texas?
Money is the only thing separating the two penalty levels. The state measures damage to all vehicles involved against a $200 line. These are statutory limits, not predictions for any one case.
Fine only, up to $500.
Jail up to 180 days, fine up to $2,000.
- Damage under $200
- Class C misdemeanor. A fine up to $500 and no jail.
- Damage of $200 or more
- Class B misdemeanor. Up to 180 days in county jail and a fine up to $2,000.
- Statutes
- Transportation Code § 550.022 for an attended vehicle, § 550.024 for an unattended vehicle, and § 550.023 for the information duties.
- Civil exposure
- The criminal case does not settle the damage claim, which runs separately through insurance or a civil suit.
- Record
- A Class B conviction is a permanent criminal record that shows on background checks.
Because the damage total picks the level, a lawyer looks at it early. The state carries the burden of proving it.
Real Questions
What Do People Ask About FSGI In Texas?
Does leaving a note on the other car meet the duty?
What if a driver went home and called the insurance company?
Can an owner be charged when someone else was driving?
Does the other driver's estimate decide the level?
Does the insurance claim end if the criminal case is dismissed?
Possible Defenses
How Can An FSGI Charge Be Defended?
An FSGI file often looks simple in the police report and less simple once the evidence is laid out. An attorney reviews who was driving, what the driver knew, what the damage was and how the case began. No result can be promised.
Cameras and photographs are central.
Footage from doorbells, shops and traffic cameras may show both vehicles, the moment of contact and the driver. Damage photos and repair bills are set beside the written report.
Constitutional issues include how a vehicle was identified and any stop or search that followed.
Who Was Driving
A plate identifies a vehicle, not a driver. Can the state prove identity?
Did The Driver Know
Was the contact something the driver would have felt, heard or seen?
The Damage Figure
Does the estimate reflect this collision, or older damage and extra repairs?
The Duty To Stay
Did the driver stop, come back or leave a proper note?
Vehicle Or Fixture
Was a vehicle involved, or a fence or sign that falls under a different section?
How The Case Began
How and when was the driver identified, and was the process lawful?
Local Process
What Happens After An FSGI Charge In Jefferson County?
An FSGI case can start with a summons or a warrant weeks after the collision, once a plate number or a camera image is traced to a registered owner. The registered owner and the driver are not always the same person.
Citation, Summons Or Arrest
A person can receive a citation, a summons or a warrant. If arrested, booking and bond follow.
First Appearance
The person appears in court on the charge and learns the setting.
Discovery
The defense can ask for the state's evidence, including video, photographs and estimates, under art. 39.14.
Resolution
The case ends in dismissal, a plea, a pretrial program where offered, or trial.
- Where it is filed
- Class B cases are filed in one of the Jefferson County Courts at Law, with prosecutors in Jefferson County handling them.
- Who investigates
- Beaumont Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, Texas DPS Highway Patrol, Port Arthur Police Department, Nederland Police Department, Port Neches Police Department, or Groves Police Department, depending on where the collision occurred.
- If there is an arrest
- Booking is at the county jail, run by the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
- If the case is appealed
- the Ninth Court of Appeals in Beaumont.
Leaving after a crash that hurt or killed someone is charged as failure to stop and render aid, a felony at the higher injury levels. The line between the two charges is whether any person was injured, not how bad the vehicle damage was. A dismissal can open the door to an expunction, and some other resolutions can qualify for an order of nondisclosure.
Next Steps
What Should You Do After An FSGI Charge?
These steps are general information, not advice for any one person.
Skip Contact With The Other Driver
Direct contact can become evidence or a new problem.
Photograph Your Vehicle
Pictures of its condition can help show which damage came from this collision.
Keep Repair Records
Save every estimate and invoice.
Write Down Where You Were
Record the date, the place and what you recall.
Save Court Papers
Keep every citation, summons and notice.
Be Careful With Your Insurer
Ask a lawyer before giving a detailed statement.
A conversation with a lawyer before the first court date can clarify the options. Mitchell Law Firm offers a confidential consultation on FSGI charges in Jefferson County.
Official Texas Sources
Read The Law Behind This Page
- Texas Transportation Code Chapter 550: Duties after a collision, including §§ 550.022 to 550.025
- Texas Penal Code Chapter 12: Class B and Class C misdemeanor punishment
- Texas Penal Code Chapter 6: Culpable mental states
- Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 39: Discovery of the state's evidence
- Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Chapter 55A: Expunction
- Texas Government Code Chapter 411: Orders of nondisclosure
Who Handles Your Case
The Texas Lawyer Who Speaks Science
Attorney Brennon Mitchell isn't just a seasoned Beaumont trial lawyer. He's one of the few in Texas, and the entire country, to earn the prestigious title of an ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist. That means he's gone beyond the courtroom and into the laboratory, receiving in-depth, hands-on training in forensic chromatography, the same kind of testing used by crime labs to try and convict Texans every day.
What does that mean for you?
It means when the state uses blood alcohol or drug testing to try to prove its case, Mr. Mitchell knows how to challenge it. He's trained to:
- Analyze lab results and spot faulty science
- Cross-examine forensic experts with precision
- Break down complex chemical evidence in plain language for juries
This is not the kind of background you find in most criminal defense attorneys, and it could make the difference between a conviction and a clean slate.
Brennon graduated from Texas A&M University School of Law and practices from offices in Orange and Conroe.
Client Reviews
What Clients Say About Brennon Mitchell
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case is different and is decided on its own facts.
Related Traffic Charges
Other Criminal Traffic Charges In Beaumont, TX
When a person was hurt in the collision, leaving the scene is charged under a different statute with felony levels. See the full Traffic Violations defense overview for Beaumont.
Evading Arrest
Running from an officer on foot is a misdemeanor. Doing it in a vehicle is a felony.
Failure To Stop And Render Aid
Leaving a collision where someone was hurt or killed, graded by the worst injury.
Reckless Driving
Driving in wilful or wanton disregard for safety. A criminal charge that can bring an arrest, not a ticket paid by mail.
Street Racing
Racing on a highway under Transportation Code § 545.420. A Class B misdemeanor on its own, and a felony once someone is hurt.
Street Racing With Bodily Injury
When a race on a public road injures or kills someone, § 545.420 makes it a third or second degree felony.
Common Questions
FSGI Hit And Run Questions People In Beaumont Ask
Is leaving a crash with no injuries a crime in Beaumont, TX?
Leaving a collision that damaged an attended vehicle, without stopping and giving the information Texas requires, is an offense under Transportation Code § 550.022. The statute sets a $200 line for the damage to all vehicles. Below it the offense is a Class C misdemeanor, which is fine only, and at $200 or more it is a Class B misdemeanor with possible jail.
What information does Texas law require after a crash in Jefferson County?
Section 550.023 requires a driver involved in a collision to give their name and address, the vehicle registration number, and the name of the liability insurer. If asked and available, the driver must also show a driver's license. When anyone is injured, the section adds a duty to give reasonable assistance.
What if a parked car in Beaumont, TX was hit and no one was there?
Transportation Code § 550.024 covers an unattended vehicle. The driver must stop and try to find the owner or operator to give a name and address, or leave a written note in a conspicuous place on the damaged vehicle stating the driver's name and address and what happened. The penalty follows the same $200 line.
How is the damage amount proven in a Jefferson County FSGI case?
The level turns on damage to all vehicles involved, measured against the $200 line, and the state must prove the figure it relies on. Estimates, repair invoices, photographs and insurer appraisals are the usual sources, and each can be examined for what it covers, when it was prepared and whether it reflects older damage.
Can an FSGI charge in Beaumont be dismissed or reduced?
The outcomes that exist for a misdemeanor include dismissal, reduction, a negotiated plea, deferred adjudication, a pretrial program where one is offered, and trial. Which is open depends on the evidence and on the prosecutor's position, and no outcome can be promised in advance.
What if a driver in Jefferson County did not realize there had been a collision?
Texas courts read these statutes to require that the driver knew a collision happened. Light contact in a crowded lot or a merge on a busy road is not always felt or heard. The state must show knowledge from the facts, such as the damage, the sound, what the driver did afterward and any video.
Mitchell Law Firm, PLLC
A Fender Bender Should Not Become A Record
An FSGI conviction is a criminal conviction. Talk it through before the first court date.
Serving Beaumont
