Knowing what to do after a car accident in Florida can protect your health and your legal rights. One wrong move (or one missed deadline) can cost you thousands of dollars in benefits you earned. This guide walks you through every step, from the scene of the crash to dealing with insurance companies.
Step 1: Check for Injuries and Call 911
Check yourself and your passengers for injuries first. Then call 911. Florida law requires you to report any accident involving injury, death, or property damage over $500. A police report creates an official record of the crash. Insurance companies take that record seriously. It also becomes critical evidence if your case goes to court.
You can purchase a copy of your crash report through the official FLHSMV crash report portal. If you hire Jacob Gordon Injury Law to handle your claim, Jake will obtain and pay for the report as part of investigating your case, so you do not need to purchase it yourself.
Do not refuse medical attention at the scene. EMTs spot injuries you might not feel yet. Adrenaline masks pain. Whiplash, soft tissue damage, and traumatic brain injuries often don’t show symptoms until hours or days later.
Step 2: Document the Florida Car Accident Scene
If you can move safely, document everything before vehicles get moved.
- Photograph all vehicles: close-up damage shots and wide-angle shots showing each car’s position on the road
- Photograph the road: skid marks, debris, traffic signals, road conditions, and any hazards that contributed to the crash
- Photograph your injuries: bruising, cuts, or any visible trauma
- Get the other driver’s information: name, license number, insurance carrier, policy number, and vehicle registration
- Get witness information: names and phone numbers of anyone who saw the crash
Also look for nearby cameras. Traffic cameras, business security cameras, and residential doorbell cameras can all capture the crash. That footage gets overwritten fast. Note the locations so your attorney can act quickly.
Step 3: Seek Medical Treatment After Your Florida Car Accident Within 14 Days
Florida runs on a no-fault insurance system. Your own Personal Injury Protection coverage (PIP) pays your initial medical bills. It doesn’t matter who caused the accident. But there is a hard deadline.
You must seek medical treatment within 14 days of the accident to access your PIP benefits. Miss that window and you forfeit up to $10,000 in coverage. That’s not a technicality. Florida Statute § 627.736 writes that cutoff into law.
Go to an emergency room, urgent care, or your primary care physician. Tell them you were in a car accident. Describe every symptom, even minor ones. Accurate medical records help document your symptoms, treatment, and recovery. Gaps in the records may raise questions that your attorney can help address.
Want to understand exactly how your PIP benefits work? Read our full breakdown of Florida PIP insurance.
Step 4: Report the Accident to Your Insurance Company
Notify your own insurer that the accident happened. Your policy requires you to cooperate with them. But there is an important line between notifying your insurer and giving a recorded statement.
You do not have to give a recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. If their adjuster calls, be polite. Be careful. Their job is to pay you as little as possible. Anything you say can reduce your claim. Talk to an attorney before you give any statement to the adverse carrier.
Step 5: Do Not Accept a Quick Settlement
Insurance companies move fast after accidents. They often reach out within days with a settlement offer. Those early offers are almost always low. The insurer bets you don’t yet know the full extent of your injuries or what your case is worth.
Once you sign a release, that’s it. You cannot go back for more, even if your injuries turn out to be far more serious. Sign nothing until you understand your full medical picture. Talk to an attorney first.
To understand why that first offer is almost never the right one, read our post on why the insurance company’s first settlement offer is almost never full value.
Step 6: What Compensation Can Florida Car Accident Victims Recover?
Florida car accident victims may have the right to recover:
- Medical expenses: past and future, including surgery, physical therapy, specialist visits, and medications
- Lost wages: income you missed while recovering, plus loss of future earning capacity if your injuries are permanent
- Pain and suffering: Florida allows non-economic damages in cases involving serious injury under the statute
- Property damage: the cost to repair or replace your vehicle
Florida generally applies modified comparative fault to car accident negligence claims. Your share of fault can reduce your recovery, and a claimant found more than 50 percent responsible for their own harm generally cannot recover damages under Florida Statute § 768.81. The law applicable to your case depends on its facts and timing.
Step 7: Talk to a Florida Car Accident Attorney
Jacob Gordon Injury Law handles car accident injury claims on a contingency fee basis. There are no upfront attorney’s fees, and the attorney’s fee depends on a recovery. A free consultation is an opportunity to discuss your claim and the fee agreement, including how case costs are handled.
An experienced attorney investigates the accident, gathers evidence, handles all insurance communications, and fights for the full value of your claim. Insurance adjusters negotiate claims every single day. You deserve someone in your corner who knows the game just as well.
Want to understand how insurers approach these claims from the inside? Read our post on how insurance companies investigate your personal injury claim.
If you were in a car accident in the Tampa Bay area, contact Jacob Gordon Injury Law for a free consultation.
Contact Jacob Gordon Injury Law for a free consultation.
For help applying these steps to your claim, learn about Tampa car accident representation; help after a Palm Harbor car accident.
Jacob Gordon is a personal injury attorney in Tampa, Florida. Before representing injured people, he spent years as an insurance defense attorney: he knows exactly how insurance companies evaluate and fight claims.
This is general information, not legal advice for your situation. Every case is different. Call or text me at (813) 547-4707 to talk about yours.