Do Not Leave The Scene Of The Accident
If the accident was your fault, it’s understandable that you would feel an urgent desire to drive away from the accident scene as fast as possible.
But you need to think logically—hit-and-runs are taken very seriously in all states and you’ll face massive penalties if caught.
There may be an injured party in the other vehicle who’s in desperate need of auto accident injury care. You yourself may be injured and not know it, as shock numbs pain and dulls your senses (as well as your ability to make rational decisions).
If the accident wasn’t your fault, it’s also crucial that you remain at the scene of the accident.
Do Not Admit Fault
The at fault driver for a car accident is often up for debate. There are many factors that contribute to how and why two vehicles collide, but an experienced car accident attorney and the insurance company typically figures out who is responsible.
This is why you should never—even if, deep down, you know you’re at fault—admit responsibility. Anything you say can and will be used against you, and you want to mitigate as many negative consequences as possible.
Don’t Put Off Auto Accident Injury Care
Even a minor car accident in Florida like a fender-bender or low-speed rear-end collision can cause serious problems like whiplash and musculoskeletal strain or injury. That said, the symptoms of these problems are often latent—people don’t know they’ve been injured until days, sometimes weeks following an accident.
The sooner you seek auto accident injury care, the better—problems can be diagnosed faster and, with that diagnosis, treatment can begin sooner, meaning your recovery time will be shorter.
Another thing to remember: Florida law requires victims of an auto accident—not matter who’s at fault—to seek medical treatment within 14 days of an accident in order to benefit from their required PIP insurance.
Do Not Speak To The Other Party’s Insurance Company
Don’t be surprised if the other party’s insurance company reaches out to you almost immediately after a Florida car accident. They do this knowing you’re in a vulnerable situation and they want to use that to their advantage—they want to talk to you, not your attorney, and this is because they know how to pressure you into settling for as little as possible.
As stated above, auto accident injuries can be latent, so you won’t know the full repercussions of an auto accident until you’ve officially had auto accident injury care and a full diagnosis.
This leads us to the final thing you should not do following Florida car accidents.
Don’t Fail To Speak With Your Insurance Company & Hire An Attorney
You are obligated to report your Florida car accident to your insurance company and you should do so as soon as possible. Furthermore, if you put this off, it may be grounds for your coverage to be denied by your insurance company. Finally, you may have just cause to file a personal injury lawsuit!
