Seven Things You Must Do After a Car Accident in Florida

In central Florida, if you are injured in a car accident, you’ll need to speak with an Orlando car accident attorney about your right to compensation. However, no lawyer will be at the accident scene to advise you, so you will need to take some steps to protect yourself.

What should you do in the immediate aftermath of a car accident? If you keep reading, you will find a list of the seven steps you must take after an auto collision, and you’ll learn about your right to recover compensation.

After a Car Accident, Take These Steps

#1: If you are injured, or if anyone else was injured in the accident, seek or summon medical help at once. That’s the immediate, paramount priority.

#2: Call the police to the scene. You will eventually need a copy of the written police accident report, so ask the officers when and how you will be able to obtain one.

#3: Exchange personal contact details and insurance details with the other driver or drivers. Get the name, address, phone, driver’s license, license plate numbers, the insurance company’s name, location, and phone number, and if possible, the other driver’s policy number.

#4: Take photographs of the accident scene, the damage to the vehicles, the license plate numbers, and your own visible injuries.

#5: If there were any eyewitnesses to the accident, try to obtain their names and phone numbers. Later, your attorney may need their statements or testimony.

#6: If you are not treated at the scene or taken to the hospital, you must have a medical exam at once. Even if you feel fine, you may have sustained a latent injury. In Florida, if you do not have a medical exam within 14 days of a car accident, you cannot recover compensation for injuries.

#7: You will need to notify your auto insurance company that you’ve been in an accident, but when you notify the company, give them only the basic facts: when and where the accident happened, the other driver’s name, and the make and model of the other driver’s vehicle.

Why Is a Medical Examination Imperative?

An undetected latent injury may quickly – or sometimes, slowly – emerge as a serious medical condition. Having a medical examination within 24 hours of an accident, even if you don’t feel injured, ensures that any latent injuries will be detected.

Moreover, if you’ve been injured, an immediate medical exam protects you legally. Without it, you may not be able to link your injury directly to the accident, and the other driver’s insurance company may claim that you were injured somewhere else and in some other way.

Florida law has a “14-day rule,” and if you do not submit to a medical examination within 14 days of a car accident, you cannot recover compensation for injuries.

When Should You Contact an Orlando Car Accident Attorney?

If you are injured in a central Florida car accident, as soon as a medical professional has examined and/or treated you, contact our Orlando personal injury attorneys at 407-426-7222.

In Florida, the injured victims of negligence are entitled to recover compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and related losses. If the other driver was negligent, our team will fight on your behalf for the compensation you need.

Do not wait to make the call. After a car accident, your attorney needs to examine the evidence before it deteriorates or disappears, and your attorney also needs to question any witnesses before their memories fade.

If you’ve been injured by a negligent driver, call us at 407-426-7222. As a victim of negligence, compensation is your right.