Car accidents can be frightening and disorienting. Sometimes, injury victims and others who were there just don’t know what to do. If you’re involved in an auto collision in the state of Florida, take advantage of some specific safety tips and other useful pieces of advice to make sure you get the best outcome possible in trying to manage any injuries or property damage.
Get to Safety
In the immediate aftermath of an incident, it’s important to move vehicles and people to a safe area. For any injuries, it’s a good idea to call fire and rescue as well as the police. A 911 call can notify emergency departments that will send an ambulance to take injured parties for immediate medical treatment.
Document the Accident
In order to establish what happened in a Florida car accident, documentation is key. This starts with getting police on the scene and participating in a police report.
The police report is going to be an essential document – talk to police in detail and make sure to get your version of events on the record. If you’re able, take some good cell phone pictures, and document any vehicle damage, as well as debris on the road or any other evidence that can be used in a car accident case later.
Seek Medical Treatment
Another important step in this process is to quickly seek medical treatment for any injuries, even minor ones. Florida has a no-fault car insurance system where every driver can collect money directly from his or her insurance company, regardless of who was at fault in the accident. However, some restrictions do apply, and one of them is a necessary timeline.
Technically, Florida residents have 14 days to get medical evaluation and treatment in order to collect money from the insurance company. But experts would not advise waiting 12 or 13 days.
Companies have a standard for “reasonable” medical evaluation after an accident – for best results, injury victims should get some sort of medical treatment within 72 hours. It’s also important to go to the right doctors – to find local offices that are well qualified to document any injuries such as whiplash, soft tissue damage or others that can be difficult to pinpoint and diagnose.
Work with Others on the Scene
Going back to the accident scene, after you’ve taken pictures, talk to anyone who saw what happened. Eyewitnesses are extremely important in many car accident cases.
In a video, professional Jacksonville Florida car accident lawyer Steve Watrel provides these and many more tips for how to deal with the aftermath of an auto accident. Watrel stresses the importance of timeliness.
“To just wait and see how it goes will hurt you big time,” he says.
Hurt in a car accident in Jacksonville, Florida? Get attentive and professional representation from the Law Office of Steve Watrel – we provide attention to personal discovery in each and every case, and commitment to the final outcome. Our team approach and focus on case evaluation means clients can feel confident that they have an excellent legal team on their side. Instead of going to a big firm with excessive caseloads where you might not get much attention, call Steve Watrel and get individual, personalized help with a car accident claim.
