What to Do In The Event of a Florida Car Accident

The first thing is to stay calm. Do not get out of the vehicle and confront the other person in an angry or hostile manner. If your vehicle can be driven, move it off to the side of the road or to an area that is safe. Once you are in a safe place, exchange information with the other driver. You can download a driver’s exchange of information form by visiting our member’s area. Link in member’s area to

http://www.hsmv.state.fl.us/forms/driverexchange.html

Information to exchange includes insurance information, name, address, phone number. Ask to see an insurance card and driver’s license. Copy the full name, address and driver’s license number. Make sure that the license is not expired. Look to see that the insurance is for that person in that vehicle and that the accident is within the policy period.

DO NOT MAKE ANY STATEMENTS LIKE “I’M SORRY” AND DO NOT RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS OF WHETHER YOU ARE HURT. EVEN IF YOU ARE NOT FEELING HURT AT THE SCENE, YOU MAY EXPERIENCE SYMPTOMS DAYS LATER. IT IS BEST NOT TO SPEAK EXCEPT TO GET AND GIVE THE BASIC INFORMATION. ONCE THAT IS DONE, GO SIT IN YOUR VEHICLE AND WAIT FOR THE POLICE OFFICER ASSUMING IT IS SAFELY PARKED AWAY FROM TRAFFIC.

If there is visible property damage or you are injured, you must contact a police officer. Under no circumstances should you ever consider any offers to pay for damage without getting the police or insurance company involved.

If there is damage, you should take photographs of both vehicles. A good practice is to keep a disposable camera in the glove box. With the widespread inclusion of cameras in cell phones now, use your cell phone to take photos of the cars, the other person, their drivers license and insurance card.

Once the police officer arrives, tell him or her what happened in a brief manner. If you were struck from the rear, just say that: I was stopped. I was hit from behind. Let the officer ask you questions and do your best to answer them. Be careful when asked about times, distance and speeds. Use words that estimate. Try not to use numbers. If you are wrong about the numbers, this can come back to haunt you later if you have to bring a claim. Before the officer leaves, make sure you get a small card with the investigating officer’s name, your case number and the direct dial phone number to call to get the police report when it is ready. If you forget to get the card, at least make a mental note who the police officer was working for, e.g. Florida Highway Patrol, Miami-Dade Police Department. Our member’s area has a list of police departments in Florida which you can call if you didn’t get that little card with the information.

You will be asked by the officer if you are hurt and require medical assistance. If you feel any pain, let the officer get a paramedic to take you to the hospital. Do not refuse treatment if you think that you might be injured. When you are speaking to a paramedic or police officer, do not be a hero. Tell them where and how much it hurts. If you don’t tell them about the symptoms, they won’t know where to look and they may not be able to assist you. Also, if you hit any part of your body inside the vehicle, TELL THEM which part and where you hit the part inside the vehicle. Follow all of the doctors instructions at the hospital and afterwards.

Once you are home, you have many decisions to make, like whether you need a lawyer, what type of doctor should you go to, whether you should contact your insurance company, how do you get a copy of the police report, who will fix your car or get a rental car? Click on the highlighted links for answers to these questions or go back to the home page. Contact us (888) 435-2465, e-mail us or fill out the consultation form to the right for any questions regarding what to do in the event of an accident.