A car accident can leave you shaken, injured, and unsure what to do next. The steps you take immediately after a crash can affect your health, your insurance claim, and your ability to recover compensation.
If you were injured in a Florida car accident, a car accident lawyer in Fort Lauderdale can help you protect your rights and avoid mistakes that could hurt your claim. Rosen Injury Law has spent more than 20 years helping accident victims throughout Fort Lauderdale, Broward County, and South Florida.
Call Rosen Injury Law today at (954) 787-1500 or visit our contact page to schedule a free consultation. This guide explains what to do after a Florida car accident, step by step.
Step One: Stay at the Scene and Check for Injuries
Florida law requires drivers involved in an accident to stop immediately at or near the scene. Leaving the scene of an accident involving injury, death, or property damage is a criminal offense under Florida Statute § 316.061 and can result in serious criminal penalties — entirely separate from any civil liability.
Once you’ve stopped, check yourself and any passengers for injuries. Do not attempt to move anyone who may have a head, neck, or spinal injury unless there is an immediate danger — such as fire or a vehicle in a hazardous position. If injuries are evident or suspected, call 911 immediately.
Step Two: Call 911
Even if you think your injuries are not severe, call 911. A responding officer will document the scene, gather statements, and generate an official crash report that becomes critical evidence in any subsequent insurance claim or lawsuit. Florida Statute § 316.066 requires law enforcement to investigate accidents involving injury, death, or property damage above $500.
When law enforcement arrives, provide accurate, factual information about what happened. Do not speculate about fault, do not apologize, and do not make statements about the extent of your injuries. Adrenaline can mask pain in the immediate aftermath of a crash, and injuries that seem minor at the scene may prove significant in the days that follow. Statements made at the scene can be used against you later.
Ask the responding officer how to obtain a copy of the crash report. In Florida, crash reports are typically available through the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles’ (FLHSMV) online crash report portal within a few days of the accident.
Because car accident claims are also personal injury cases, a personal injury lawyer in Fort Lauderdale can help you understand how the crash report, medical records, and other evidence may affect your claim.
Step Three: When Possible, Move Your Vehicle Out Of Traffic
Florida law requires you to move it out of the lanes of traffic to avoid creating a secondary hazard if your vehicle is operable. Turn on your hazard lights. If the vehicle cannot be safely moved, leave your hazard lights on and remain clear of the lanes of travel until law enforcement arrives.
If you are not able to move your vehicle, exit safely and move away from traffic while staying near the scene.
Step Four: Document the Scene Thoroughly
When possible, use your phone to photograph or video the accident scene, including all vehicles from multiple angles, road conditions, any debris or skid marks, traffic signals, and anything else that appears relevant. Visual evidence captured immediately after a crash is among the most persuasive evidence available in a personal injury claim.
Also, try to sketch a quick diagram of the vehicles’ pre-impact positions, including the direction each was traveling and any relevant lane configurations.
Step Five: Exchange Information and Identify Witnesses
You are legally required to exchange certain information with other involved drivers. Collect and document the full legal name and contact information, driver’s license number, vehicle registration and license plate number, and insurance company name and policy number of each involved driver.
If there are passengers in the other vehicle, note that as well. If witnesses are at the scene, approach them and ask for their contact information — name, phone number, and address if possible. Witnesses who leave the scene without providing contact information may be difficult or impossible to locate later, and their accounts can be persuasive in a fault dispute.
Step Six: Seek Immediate Medical Treatment
Seeking immediate medical attention can save your life and your ability to recover compensation for your claim.
Florida is a no-fault state, which means every driver is required to carry at least $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection (PIP) coverage. PIP pays for a portion of your medical expenses and lost wages regardless of who caused the accident — but only if you seek medical treatment within 14 days of the crash.
Under Florida Statutes § 627.736(1)(a), if you fail to see a qualifying medical provider within that 14-day window, you lose your right to PIP benefits entirely. There are no exceptions for delayed-onset symptoms, inability to get an appointment, or lack of knowledge about the rule.
Do not wait to see how you feel in a few days. Some injuries, particularly those involving the neck, back, and soft tissue, may not produce significant symptoms immediately but worsen substantially over time. Whiplash injuries, disc herniations, concussions, and traumatic brain injuries are among the most common examples. An early medical evaluation establishes the connection between the accident and your injuries, creates a medical record from the outset, and preserves your access to PIP coverage.
After your initial visit, follow through with every recommended appointment and treatment. Insurance companies can use gaps in care to argue that your injuries have resolved or that certain treatments were unnecessary.
Step Seven: Notify Your Insurance Company
Florida’s no-fault law requires you to notify your insurance carrier and initiate a PIP claim following a car accident. Prompt notification is generally required under the terms of your policy, and unreasonable delay can complicate your claim.
When you contact your insurer, stick to the basic facts: the date, time, and location of the accident, and the vehicles and parties involved. Do not provide a detailed recorded statement without first consulting an attorney, and do not speculate about fault or the extent of your injuries. Adjusters are trained to gather information that can be used to minimize your claim, and statements made in those initial conversations can become part of the record.
Step Eight: Do Not Give a Recorded Statement Without Legal Representation
The other driver’s insurance company will likely contact you quickly after the accident and request a recorded statement. You are not legally required to provide one, and in most cases, you should decline to do so until you have spoken with an attorney.
Recorded statements are taken by trained adjusters who know how to ask questions in ways that elicit responses that can later be used to reduce your claim.
Step Nine: Document Your Losses and Keep Everything
Keep a detailed record of everything connected to your injury and recovery, including all medical bills and records, emergency visits, follow-up appointments, imaging, physical therapy, and prescriptions, receipts for out-of-pocket expenses such as medications, medical equipment, and transportation to appointments. Document time missed from work and lost wages. And keep a daily pain and symptom journal noting your pain levels, limitations, and how the injury has affected your daily life.
Step Ten: Stay Off Social Media
Insurance investigators actively monitor claimants’ social media profiles, searching for anything that could be used to challenge the severity of their injuries. A photograph of you at a social gathering, participating in an activity, or even smiling, taken during the claims process, can be taken out of context and used to minimize your recovery.
Until your case is fully resolved, avoid posting about your accident, your injuries, your treatment, or your activities. Ask family members and friends to refrain from making posts that include you.
Step Eleven: Consult an Experienced Florida Personal Injury Attorney
The insurance companies involved in your claim have experienced legal teams protecting their financial interests. You need the help of a Florida car accident attorney with a proven record of success to protect your rights and financial interests.
At Rosen Injury Law, we have been protecting car accident victims and their families for decades. We have the experience, skills, and resources to help you secure maximum compensation for your damages. Call us today at (954) 787-1500 or complete the short form on our contact page and schedule a free consultation to discuss your claim.