From January through June of this year, Florida experienced 188,093 auto accidents, resulting in 1,664 deaths and 119,143 people with injuries . Literally thousands of lives changed in an instant just in this period of a few months. If you were to become involved in a motor vehicle accident, would you know what to do? Your actions can play a role in the outcome of the accident if either you or the opposing party file a lawsuit.
- Stay at the scene of the accident. Even if you think you are at fault, leaving the scene of the accident without exchanging information with the other driver is against the law.
- Call 911 to report the accident and have a police officer come out to inspect it and write an accident report. If anyone is seriously injured and needs an ambulance, let the 911 operator know this when you call.
- Exchange information with the other driver. This should include writing down their name, phone number, email, and photographing their driver’s license and insurance card. Also take down the name and contact information for any witnesses.
- Take photographs and videos of the accident scene. Make sure to include damage to the cars, their positions, any skid marks or auxiliary damage to the road or other structures. Also take photos of any visible injuries that you or your passengers have sustained.
- Jot down notes for later to remind you of the weather, such as if there was heavy rain or fog, traffic and road conditions, such as any construction, debris in the road, or heavy traffic. If you can, write down all the events from a few minutes before the accident until the accident occurred. This will be helpful if you forget details later, as often happens.
- Seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you are badly injured, take an ambulance directly from the accident scene to the hospital. Even if you don’t feel injured, its still important to visit a doctor’s office or hospital within 24 hours. Right after the accident you may have an adrenaline rush which prevents you from feeling the full extent of your injuries. Moreover, the longer you wait to go to the doctor, the easier it will be for the opposing party to claim your injuries are the result of something other than the accident. It’s also important to note that Florida Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance requires that you visit a doctor within 14 days of an accident in order to make a claim.
- Call an experienced personal injury law firm, like Rader Law Group, as soon as possible after the accident. We will advise you of your legal options to seek compensation for your injuries. The sooner you call the sooner we can fight for you to receive justice.
Rader Law Group, LLC
With decades and decades combined experience, the attorneys at Rader Law Group understand the meaning of Justice. Our one and only mission is to get each client the justice he or she deserves; our team of attorneys never back down when we know our client is right.
We offer our clients the compassion and guidance they need as they work through trying times in their lives. The balance of working relentlessly for our clients combined with our caring approach has helped us achieve a fantastic record of success with our clients. We get our clients the justice they deserve.
At Rader Law Group, You matter. Your justice matters. Your Justice Starts Here. 954-913-2273.
References Used:
Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. Crash Dashboard – Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (flhsmv.gov). Accessed July 5, 2022.