Car accidents are scary—it can happen to anyone at any given moment no matter where you are. In fact, there’s an average of approximately 1,025 accidents a day in Florida, per the last recorded year by the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. So, what should you do if you’ve just gotten into an accident?
- Call 9-1-1 and seek medical attention immediately: If you’ve been injured, accept being transported in an emergency vehicle to the hospital. Get evaluated there and have them document your injuries if you need care.
- Make sure the police document everything: A police report is extremely important, as are photos and documentation of the scene because the evidence will disappear. Between the weather and time, marks on the road will wear away, and you need that information documented as soon as possible after the accident to preserve evidence that can stand in court.
- If injured, follow medical advice: If you’re injured, follow the recommended medical advice by your doctor. It seems like a no-brainer, but this can be a huge issue for you down the road. If you’re not a compliant patient and you didn’t follow the advice, you will get blamed for the ongoing issues and the failure to recover fully. It’s a shame, but it happens more frequently than you think.
- If needed, find a reputable law firm: Only some law firms have the robust sources needed for these types of cases. For example, at Grossman Roth Yaffa Cohen, we have a team of former police investigators that are out there immediately upon the first phone call, documenting the scene and taking photos of the vehicles to make sure the evidence is preserved.
