What to Do After a Car Accident in Florida: A Step-by-Step Guide
Written by the Hughes and Barnard Law Firm, PA marketing team and reviewed by Attorney Howard Hughes to ensure quality and accuracy.
Published 2026 · Hughes & Barnard Law Firm, PA · Jupiter, FL · (561) 296-9400
The moments immediately after a car accident are disorienting. Even minor collisions produce adrenaline, confusion, and the competing pressures of the situation — other drivers, traffic, possible injuries, the arrival of police. In the middle of all of that, the decisions you make directly affect your ability to protect your health and your legal rights.
This guide walks through the steps you should take after a car accident in Florida — in order. It is designed to be useful whether you are reading this before an accident or immediately after one.
Step 1: Call 911 — Even If the Accident Seems Minor
Florida law requires drivers to report accidents involving injury, death, or property damage over $500 to law enforcement. In practice, call 911 after any accident that involves injury or significant vehicle damage. A police report creates an official record of the accident — including the officer’s observations, the other driver’s information, and in many cases, a preliminary determination of fault. This report is critical evidence in your insurance claim and any subsequent personal injury case.
Do not agree with the other driver to handle the accident ‘privately’ without involving police or insurance. Even if the other driver seems cooperative at the scene, this almost always works against the injured party.
Step 2: Seek Medical Attention — Even If You Feel Okay
This is the most important step for your health and your legal case. Many car accident injuries — particularly soft tissue injuries, whiplash, and traumatic brain injuries — do not produce immediate symptoms. Pain, stiffness, headaches, and neurological symptoms often emerge 24 to 72 hours after the accident. If you wait until symptoms appear before seeking treatment, the insurance company will argue that the delay proves the accident didn’t cause your injuries.
Florida’s PIP (Personal Injury Protection) law adds an additional reason to seek immediate medical attention: Florida Statute 627.736 requires that you seek initial medical treatment within 14 days of the accident to qualify for PIP coverage. If you miss this 14-day window, you lose access to your own PIP benefits — regardless of fault.
14-Day Rule: Florida PIP coverage requires you to seek initial medical treatment within 14 days of your accident. Missing this deadline costs you your PIP benefits. See a doctor — even an urgent care clinic — within 14 days of any accident involving potential injury.
Step 3: Document the Scene
If you are physically able to do so safely, document the accident scene before vehicles are moved. Use your phone to photograph:
- All vehicles involved, including damage, license plates, and final resting positions
- The road conditions, traffic signals, and intersection layout
- Skid marks, debris, or other physical evidence on the road surface
- Any visible injuries you have sustained
- Street signs identifying the exact location of the accident
This documentation may be the only record of physical evidence that disappears quickly — skid marks fade, debris is cleared, and traffic camera footage is often overwritten within days.
Step 4: Exchange Information and Collect Witness Details
Before leaving the scene, collect the following from the other driver:
- Full name, address, and phone number
- Driver's license number
- Vehicle registration information
- Insurance company name and policy number
If there are witnesses — other drivers who stopped, pedestrians, bystanders — get their names and phone numbers. Witness accounts become critically important when the other driver disputes fault or makes claims that contradict your account.
Step 5: Do Not Admit Fault or Apologize
Florida follows a modified comparative negligence system — if you are found more than 50% at fault for an accident, you cannot recover any damages. Statements made at the scene can be used against you to assign fault. Even an instinctive ‘I’m so sorry’ or ‘I didn’t see you’ can be characterized as an admission of liability. Provide the required information to police and the other driver, but limit your statements to factual description and do not speculate about fault or apologize.
Step 6: Notify Your Insurance Company
Report the accident to your own insurance company promptly. Your policy likely requires timely notice as a condition of coverage. Provide the factual details of the accident, but be careful about giving detailed recorded statements before you have spoken with an attorney — particularly if injuries are involved.
Step 7: Do Not Give a Recorded Statement to the Other Driver’s Insurance Company
The other driver’s insurance company is not on your side. When their adjuster calls and asks for a recorded statement ‘to process your claim,’ they are gathering evidence to minimize or deny your claim. In Florida, you are not legally required to give a recorded statement to the adverse insurer. Politely decline until you have spoken with an attorney.
Step 8: Contact a Florida Car Accident Attorney Before Accepting Any Settlement
Insurance companies make early settlement offers — sometimes within days of an accident — before the full extent of injuries is known. These offers are designed to resolve the claim cheaply before you understand what your case is worth. Once you accept a settlement, you waive all future claims arising from the accident. This is irreversible.
At Hughes and Barnard Law Firm, PA, we offer free consultations and handle car accident cases on a contingency fee basis — no fee unless we recover compensation for you. A free consultation costs you nothing and ensures you understand the full value of your claim before making any decisions.
Florida-Specific Rules That Affect Your Car Accident Claim
- Two-year statute of limitations: You must file a personal injury lawsuit within two years of the accident (as of March 24, 2023). Missing this deadline permanently bars your claim.
- Modified comparative negligence: If you are more than 50% at fault, you cannot recover damages. Insurance companies use this aggressively.
- PIP coverage: Florida's no-fault system requires PIP coverage and requires the 14-day treatment window.
- Minimum insurance requirements: Florida only requires PIP and property damage coverage — bodily injury liability is not required for most drivers, which is why uninsured motorist coverage is so important.
Questions about your Florida car accident case? Call us for a free consultation.
(561) 296-9400 — Hughes & Barnard Law Firm, PA — Jupiter, FL — no fee unless we win.
