What Should I Do After a Car Accident?

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), more than 401,103 occurred in the State of Florida in 2021. Similarly, Georgia reported over 330,00 accidents in 2020

There are several steps you can take right at the scene to strengthen your claim to seek to recover maximum compensation.

1. Dial 9-1-1 to Report an Accident: the first thing to do after a car accident is to stay at the scene and call 911. If you’re able, get your vehicle off the road and onto the right shoulder. Reporting an accident and getting an official accident report is important. You need to get started on your case as soon as possible. The police will conduct their own investigation at the scene, and this will help when it comes to insurance settlements or in a personal injury lawsuit. The police will help you file an incident report but be sure to request a copy.
2. Get Prompt Medical Attention: If you or your passengers are injured, stay stationary and wait for emergency personnel to arrive. Even if you or another person has only slight pain, adrenaline will be soaring and you/they may not even realize that an injury has occurred until you’ve had the chance to calm down. If you do not receive medical treatment at the scene, head to the hospital aftward just to get checked out, get copies of any X-rays/MRIs taken, and save all receipts for medical bills.
3. Document Everything: Pull out your phone and take as many photos/videos as you can. You are seeking to document the entirety of the accident scene. Make sure to get close-ups of damage to vehicles and injuries, document where each vehicle was coming from/going to that led to the crash, document the traffic pattern at the time of the crash (was it rush hour, congested, etc.?), note any debris in the roadway, and even document the weather at the time of the incident. All of this information can be crucial to achieving maximum compensation for your car accident claim.
4. Collect Contact Information: as stated above, you are seeking to document the pertinent information of the crash so either take a picture/video or physically write down license plates, names of parties involved and eyewitnesses, and everyone’s addresses/phone numbers. Eyewitnesses can help with insurance settlements for personal injury claims, if necessary.
5. Contact Your Insurance Company: You should report the crash to your insurance company; however, you should be careful what you say to the insurance company when making an initial report. Remember, insurance companies do not want to willingly hand out settlements – in fact, their business model is built on minimizing claims payouts to maximize their shareholder’s investments. Your own insurance company will use what you say against you to limit the amount they have to pay out on a given claim. Therefore, it’s best to speak with a qualified car accident attorney for advice on how to handle communications with all parties involved including your insurance company. Unlike Georgia, Florida is a No-Fault state, which means you’ll need to go through your insurance company first to seek compensation. When damages exceed the limits of insurance, additional remedies are available under Florida law to make you whole.
6. Never Sign Anything with Your Insurance Carrier: Often, your insurance carrier will be quick to have a claims adjuster make you an offer for what they have deemed to be the “fair” value of the claim. Never sign any release with the insurance company before speaking to an attorney specializing in Florida or Georgia car accidents. By signing, you may be unwittingly giving up your right to additional compensation.
7. Never Admit Fault: It’s best to not admit fault, often the accident occurs so quickly that you may not have the facts completely straight. Do not apologize or say that the accident was your fault. This can come back to be used as evidence against you in a personal injury lawsuit. Always let the investigators put together everything that transpired and let your accident attorney handle communications.
8. Talk to a Car Accident Attorney: what you should say, what you shouldn’t, how to negotiate with your insurance company, doctors’ bills, oh my! An experienced Florida car accident attorney can handle all of these details for your case so you can focus on getting better.