What to Do After a Car Accident in Florida

1. Safety and medical care come first

Move to a safe location if the vehicles can be moved, and call 911 if anyone is hurt or the roadway is blocked. Some injuries, including neck and back injuries, appear hours later, so a medical evaluation on the day of the crash is worth having even when you feel functional.

The timing is not only medical. Florida's personal injury protection framework generally requires initial medical services within 14 days of the crash for PIP benefits to apply, which makes early treatment a documentation issue as well.

2. Report the crash and get the report number

Florida law requires crashes resulting in injury, death or significant property damage to be reported to law enforcement, and the resulting crash report is the document insurers use to identify the vehicles, drivers and basic facts.

Ask the officer for the agency name and report number before leaving. Crash reports are also available through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, and there is usually a fee after the initial period.

• Agency name, officer name and report number
• Names, phone numbers and insurance details for every driver involved
• Plate numbers and vehicle descriptions, including any commercial markings
• Witness names and phone numbers, before they leave

3. Photograph and preserve evidence

Photograph the vehicles from several angles, the road surface, signage, traffic signals and any visible injury. If there is nearby business signage, photograph that too, because businesses often hold camera footage that can be requested by name.

Keep the clothing and shoes you were wearing, and do not repair the vehicle before it has been photographed or inspected. Repair destroys evidence that may matter later.

4. Handle insurance contact carefully

Notify your own insurer promptly, since policies typically require cooperation and prompt notice. With the other driver's carrier, you are generally not required to give a recorded statement, and it is reasonable to ask that questions be sent in writing.

Be cautious with early fault descriptions. Florida applies modified comparative fault, so a casual statement that you were partly responsible can affect how a claim is later evaluated.

5. Keep a single file

Bills, imaging discs, work-restriction notes, repair estimates, towing receipts and correspondence should live in one place. A clear timeline is the foundation of any claim, and reconstructing it months later is far harder than collecting it as you go.