What to Do Immediately Aftera Car Accident in Florida

The moments after a car accident are chaotic — adrenaline is high, information is coming at you fast, and it's easy to make decisions you'll regret. What you do in the first 24 hours can significantly impact your health, your legal rights, and any financial recovery you may be entitled to. Here's exactly what to do.

Stay at the Scene and Check for Injuries

Florida law requires drivers involved in an accident to remain at the scene. Leaving — even briefly — before exchanging information can result in criminal hit-and-run charges, which carry serious consequences including felony charges if someone was injured.

Your first priority is safety. Check yourself and your passengers for injuries. If the vehicles are driveable and it is safe to do so, move them to the shoulder or a nearby parking lot to avoid blocking traffic and reduce the risk of a secondary crash. Turn on your hazard lights immediately.

Do not, however, move anyone who appears seriously injured — unless they are in immediate danger such as a vehicle fire. Moving an injured person improperly can worsen spinal or neck injuries.

Call 911 — Even for Minor Accidents

In Florida, you are required to report any accident involving injury, death, or property damage over $500. In practice, that threshold is almost always met. Call 911 immediately.

A police report is one of the most important documents in a personal injury claim. It creates an official record of the crash, identifies the parties involved, documents any traffic violations, and often includes the officer's initial assessment of fault. Insurance companies rely heavily on police reports when evaluating claims — and so do attorneys.

When the officer arrives, give an accurate account of what happened. Do not speculate, do not admit fault, and do not minimize your pain or injuries. If you're not sure about something, say so.

Exchange Information at the Scene

Before you leave, collect the following from every other driver involved:

• Full legal name — as it appears on their driver's license
• Driver's license number — and the issuing state
• Vehicle license plate number — and the state of registration
• Insurance company name and policy number — found on their insurance card
• Vehicle make, model, and year — and the VIN if possible
• Phone number and address — at minimum a cell number

If there are witnesses who stopped or saw the crash, get their names and phone numbers as well. Witnesses are valuable — their accounts are often more credible than either driver's, since they have no stake in the outcome.

Document the Scene Thoroughly

Your phone is your best tool in the minutes after an accident. Use it. Take photos and videos of everything before vehicles are moved:

• All vehicle damage — every angle, including undercarriage damage if visible
• The full accident scene — wide shots showing road conditions, weather, signage, and the position of vehicles
• Skid marks, debris, and road defects — these can help reconstruct how the crash happened
• Traffic signals and signage — especially if a signal malfunction or obscured sign may have been a factor
• Visible injuries — bruising, cuts, and other injuries often worsen over hours, so document them early

If there are traffic or security cameras nearby — at an intersection, gas station, or business — note their location. Footage is often overwritten within 24 to 72 hours, and an attorney can send a preservation letter to secure it quickly.

Seek Medical Attention Immediately — The 14-Day PIP Rule

This is the step most people skip — and it's often the most costly mistake. Many accident victims feel fine immediately after a crash, thanks in large part to the adrenaline response. Symptoms of whiplash, concussion, soft tissue injuries, and internal damage can take hours or days to fully manifest.

More critically: Florida's Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance requires you to seek initial medical treatment within 14 days of the accident to qualify for benefits. Miss that deadline, and you lose access to PIP coverage entirely — regardless of how seriously you were injured.

Go to an emergency room, urgent care, or your primary care physician the same day if possible. If your symptoms develop later that night or the next morning, go then. Document your symptoms clearly to the treating provider. Your medical records become the foundation of any personal injury claim.

Notify Your Insurance Company — Carefully

Florida requires you to notify your own insurance company promptly after an accident. Most policies have a cooperation clause — failure to report can affect your coverage. Call your insurer to report the accident, but keep the conversation brief.

What to say: the date, time, and location of the accident; that you were involved in a collision; that you are seeking medical attention. What not to say: do not speculate about fault, do not say you feel fine, and do not give a detailed recorded statement without consulting an attorney first.

Your own insurer is not entirely on your side either. They have financial incentives to minimize payouts. Keep the initial report factual and short. Let an attorney guide you on what to say beyond that.

Contact an Attorney Before Accepting Any Settlement

Insurance companies — especially the other driver's insurer — often reach out quickly with settlement offers. This is not generosity. Early settlement offers are almost always far below what an injured person is actually entitled to, made before the full extent of injuries is known and before medical bills have accumulated.

Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you typically cannot go back for more — even if your injuries turn out to be far more serious than initially apparent. An experienced personal injury attorney can evaluate what your claim is truly worth, handle all communications with insurers, and fight for full and fair compensation.

Personal injury cases work on contingency — meaning you pay nothing unless your attorney wins. There is no financial risk in getting a consultation before you decide anything.