What to Do After a Car Accident: 7 Steps That Can Protect Your Injury Claim
What you do during the first hours and days after a car accident can affect the evidence available to support your Miami injury claim and the insurance benefits you may receive. At Perez-Gurri Law Firm, our Miami car accident lawyers help victims seek compensation for their injuries, medical expenses, and property damage while providing legal guidance to protect the strength of their claims.
1. Seek Medical Care Within 14 Days
Do not put off medical attention simply because you think your injuries are minor. Some accident-related symptoms may become more noticeable hours or days after the collision, and early medical records can help document when your symptoms began and how they relate to the crash.
Florida law also makes timing particularly important. To qualify for Personal Injury Protection (PIP) medical benefits, an injured person generally must receive qualifying initial medical services and care within 14 days after the motor vehicle accident.
Medical treatment should first be about protecting your health. From a car accident injury claim standpoint, it also creates documentation of your diagnosis, treatment, limitations, and medical expenses.
2. Document the Car Accident Scene
If you are physically able to do so safely, take photographs and videos before vehicles, debris, or other evidence are moved.
Document vehicle damage, license plates, skid marks, traffic signals, road conditions, nearby signs, debris, visible injuries, and the wider accident scene. If the collision occurred near a business, intersection, condominium, or other property with cameras, make note of possible surveillance footage.
Early investigation can help prevent important evidence from disappearing or becoming more difficult to obtain as time passes.
3. Gather Information
Florida law requires drivers involved in certain reportable crashes to provide identifying, vehicle, and liability insurance information. Exchange information with the other drivers and obtain as much identifying information as possible. This may include the driver’s name and contact information, vehicle owner’s information, license plate number, insurance company, and policy information.
Also get the names and contact information of witnesses. An independent witness may later help clarify how the crash occurred when drivers or insurance companies disagree about fault.
Avoid debating who caused the accident at the scene. Focus on safety, gathering information, and accurately explaining what happened to law enforcement.
4. Get the Police Report
A Florida police crash report can become an important source of information when pursuing a Miami car accident claim. Depending on the circumstances, it may identify the drivers, passengers, witnesses, vehicles, insurance companies, crash location, and investigating officer.
Florida requires law enforcement to prepare a long-form report for certain crashes, including crashes involving injury, complaints of pain or discomfort, commercial vehicles, or vehicles that must be removed by a wrecker.
Crash reports are restricted from general public access for the first 60 days after filing, but parties involved in the accident and their legal representatives are among those who may obtain them during that period. Keep a copy of the report with your other accident records.
5. Reject Fast Settlements
A quick settlement can sound appealing when medical bills are arriving and your vehicle needs repairs. However, accepting an offer before you understand the full extent of your injuries may leave you responsible for expenses that arise later.
Insurance companies may begin communicating with accident victims shortly after a crash. Avoid dealing with insurance representatives without first getting legal advice from a car accident lawyer.
Do not sign a release or accept a final injury settlement simply because the insurer says the offer is available for a limited time. Once a claim is fully settled and released, pursuing additional compensation for the same injuries may no longer be possible.
6. Stay Off Social Media
What you post online after a car accident can create unnecessary problems for your injury claim. A photograph from a family outing, a comment that you are “doing better,” or a video showing physical activity could be presented without the full context of your injuries. Even posts that have nothing to do with the accident may attract attention once an insurance company begins investigating a claim.
Consider limiting what you post about the accident, your injuries, treatment, daily activities, or settlement discussions. Avoid deleting existing content specifically because of a claim without first discussing evidence-preservation obligations with your attorney.
7. Speak With a Personal Injury Attorney
Car accident claims can involve more than proving that another driver caused a collision. Medical documentation, PIP coverage, additional insurance policies, property damage, lost income, evidence preservation, and the value of future losses can all affect the claim.
Perez-Gurri Law Firm handles car accident cases involving both personal injuries and advises clients about the Florida laws that may affect their recovery. If you were injured in a car crash, our car accident lawyers in Miami can investigate the accident, address your injuries and property damage, and help determine the compensation you may be entitled to under Florida personal injury law.
Call us today at 305-661-1200 or send us a message through our contact form to schedule your free consultation.