Call Us Now
Email Us Now
Last updated: May 2026
After a Florida car accident: (1) call the police and get insurance/witness information while you wait, (2) take photographs of all damage and the scene, (3) get medical attention within 14 days to preserve PIP coverage, (4) write down everything you remember, and (5) consult a personal injury attorney before speaking with insurance companies.
Car accidents leave people shaken, anxious, and not thinking clearly. In that moment, you’re not focused on gathering evidence or documenting details—you’re trying to process what just happened.
But the steps you take immediately after an accident directly affect your ability to recover compensation later. What you document at the scene, when you seek medical care, and how you handle insurance conversations all matter.
1. Call the Police and Collect Insurance and Witness Information
Always call the police to create an official record. While waiting—which can take hours—collect the other driver’s insurance information, license plate, and contact details for any witnesses.
Nothing good ever comes from “just being nice and not getting the police involved.” People forget details. Stories change. Fault becomes disputed. A police report locks in the facts while memories are fresh.
Be patient—it can take several hours for an officer to arrive, especially for non-injury accidents. Use that time productively. The other driver may leave before the police arrive. Witnesses almost certainly will.
From the other driver, get their insurance information (company, policy number), driver’s license number, license plate number, phone number, and address. From witnesses, collect their name, phone number, and address—and ask what they saw. If witnesses leave before the officer arrives, you can provide their contact information to police for follow-up.
While you’re assessing the scene, take note of the other driver. Are they still in their vehicle? Do they appear injured? Did they say anything about causing the accident—an apology, an admission like “I didn’t see you” or “I was looking at my phone”? Write it down immediately.
2. Take Photographs of Everything
Photograph vehicle damage, vehicle positions in the roadway, the intersection or road names, traffic signals, skid marks, debris, and any visible injuries. The more you document, the stronger your case.
Your phone is your best tool. Take photos of:
- Damage to all vehicles involved (multiple angles)
- Position of vehicles in the roadway before they’re moved
- The intersection, street signs, and road names
- Traffic signals, stop signs, or yield signs
- Skid marks, debris, or broken glass
- Weather and road conditions
- Any visible injuries you sustained
- The other driver’s license plate, insurance card, and driver’s license
Photographs help reconstruct how the accident occurred. They demonstrate the severity of impact and capture details that may become disputed later. In complex cases, accident reconstructionists, engineers, and investigators use scene photos—along with data from a vehicle’s Event Data Recorder (EDR)—to establish what happened.
Dashboard cameras are increasingly common and relatively inexpensive. If you don’t have one, consider installing one—footage documenting the actual collision is invaluable.
3. Get Medical Attention Within 14 Days
Under Florida law, you must seek medical attention within 14 days of the accident to use your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. Miss this deadline and you lose access to your no-fault insurance benefits.
Florida’s PIP coverage pays 80% of up to $10,000 in medical expenses regardless of who caused the accident—but only if you get treatment within 14 days. This isn’t a suggestion; it’s a hard legal deadline.
Even if you feel fine at the scene, get evaluated. Adrenaline masks pain. Soft tissue injuries, whiplash, and even concussions may not produce symptoms for hours or days. An emergency room visit immediately after the accident creates a medical record linking your injuries to the collision.
When you see a doctor, fully explain every symptom—pain, stiffness, headaches, dizziness, numbness, difficulty sleeping, or any change from your pre-accident condition. What you don’t report won’t be in your medical records, and insurance companies use incomplete records to minimize claims.
4. Write Down a Description and Timeline of the Accident
Memory fades and details blur within hours. Writing a description and timeline while the accident is fresh preserves information you’ll need for the police report, insurance claim, and any potential lawsuit.
As soon as possible after the accident—ideally the same day—write down answers to these questions:
- Where were you coming from and going to?
- What lane were you in?
- What did you see before impact?
- Did any part of your body hit the inside of the vehicle?
- Were you wearing your seatbelt?
- What did the other driver say to you?
- What did you observe about the other driver or passengers?
- Who did you speak to at the scene?
- What injuries or symptoms did you notice immediately?
- What symptoms developed in the hours or days after?
Use your phone’s notes app or voice recorder if writing is difficult. The goal is to capture details while they’re fresh—before shock wears off and memory consolidates into a less accurate version of events.
5. Don’t Go at It Alone—Consult an Attorney Before Talking to Insurance
Insurance adjusters are trained to minimize payouts. Before giving a recorded statement or accepting any settlement offer, consult with a personal injury attorney who can evaluate your claim and protect your interests.
The insurance company—even your own—is not on your side. Their goal is to pay as little as possible. Adjusters will ask questions designed to create doubt about fault or the severity of your injuries. They may offer a quick settlement that seems generous but doesn’t account for future medical treatment or long-term effects.
An attorney can investigate whether additional insurance coverage applies, gather evidence to support your claim, handle all communication with insurance companies, and ensure you don’t accept less than your case is worth. Personal injury attorneys typically work on contingency—you pay nothing unless they recover compensation for you.
Why Florida Drivers Need to Understand Their Coverage
In Florida, “full coverage” means only $10,000 in PIP and $10,000 in property damage liability—no bodily injury coverage. Nearly 30% of Florida drivers have no insurance at all.
Florida has one of the highest rates of motor vehicle accidents in the country—and some of the highest insurance rates, over 50% above the national average. Yet minimum coverage requirements leave most accident victims undercompensated.
What Florida’s minimum “full coverage” includes:
PIP coverage ($10,000): Pays 80% of up to $10,000 in medical bills, regardless of fault—but only if you seek treatment within 14 days.
Property damage liability ($10,000): Pays for damage to someone else’s vehicle when you’re at fault. This doesn’t cover your own vehicle.
Notice what’s missing: bodily injury liability. If someone with minimum coverage causes an accident that injures you, there may be no insurance to compensate you beyond your own PIP.
This is why uninsured/underinsured motorist (UM/UIM) coverage matters. It’s the only coverage that protects you when the at-fault driver can’t pay—because they have no insurance, insufficient insurance, or fled the scene. Given that nearly 30% of Florida drivers are uninsured and most carry only minimum coverage, UM/UIM is worth the added cost.
Injured in a Florida Car Accident? Get Help Now
At Legler, Murphy, & Battaglia, LLP, we represent car accident victims throughout Florida. We investigate accidents, identify all available insurance coverage, and fight for full compensation—including medical bills, lost wages, property damage, and pain and suffering. We work on a contingency fee basis: you pay nothing upfront, and there’s no cost unless we recover for you.
Call (941) 748-5599 to schedule a free consultation. We offer in-person and virtual consultations.