The First Few Minutes Matter
Protect Yourself After a Car Accident
Car accidents happen in seconds, and your actions immediately afterward can make a huge difference. Attorney Patton Youngblood shares his top tips for protecting yourself:
Top Tips for Car Accidents:
- Call the police – even for minor accidents, document the scene. Note that officers may not respond on private property, so collect information before anyone leaves.
- Take photos immediately – capture both vehicles, license plates, skid marks, and the overall scene. Bumpers may hide damage, but photos preserve evidence.
- Gather documentation – take photos of the other driver’s license, insurance, and license plate. Confirm that the license matches the person driving.
- Collect witness information – names, phone numbers, and emails can be critical. Officers may not always identify witnesses.
- Seek medical attention promptly – some injuries aren’t obvious at first. Early care protects your health and your claim.
- Check insurance coverage – Florida requires Personal Injury Protection (PIP), but Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist coverage is essential for pain, suffering, or losses beyond PIP.
- Look for skid marks if rear-ended – they can help establish fault.
Things People Are Very Surprised to Hear:
1. Whether someone was issued a citation is inadmissible in court – a jury decides fault, not the officer, unless he witnessed the accident. Officers can testify to what they saw, just not, generally, what was said by parties (see #2!).
2. Statements made by persons involved in the accident are, generally, not admissible in
court.
3. In Florida, drivers are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – this pays 80% of medical bills and/or 40% of lost wages up to $10,000. You are required to use your own automobile insurance first, until the $10,000 is exhausted. Then, the 20%/40% copayment, and additional out-of-pocket expenses over and above the $10,000 is owed by the at-fault driver/insurance under the other driver’s Bodily Injury (BI) coverage. But…
4. Bodily injury (BI) insurance coverage is not required in Florida!! BI coverage compensates the injured person for losses not covered by PIP, and for pain and suffering. To protect yourself, GET UNINSURED MOTORIST COVERAGE – there are a lot of people who do not have BI because it’s not required, and it costs extra!
5. Law enforcement, generally, has no jurisdiction over accidents/incidents that occur on private property – so, they will probably not come.
1. Whether someone was issued a citation is inadmissible in court – a jury decides fault, not the officer, unless he witnessed the accident. Officers can testify to what they saw, just not, generally, what was said by parties (see #2!).
2. Statements made by persons involved in the accident are, generally, not admissible in
court.
3. In Florida, drivers are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP) – this pays 80% of medical bills and/or 40% of lost wages up to $10,000. You are required to use your own automobile insurance first, until the $10,000 is exhausted. Then, the 20%/40% copayment, and additional out-of-pocket expenses over and above the $10,000 is owed by the at-fault driver/insurance under the other driver’s Bodily Injury (BI) coverage. But…
4. Bodily injury (BI) insurance coverage is not required in Florida!! BI coverage compensates the injured person for losses not covered by PIP, and for pain and suffering. To protect yourself, GET UNINSURED MOTORIST COVERAGE – there are a lot of people who do not have BI because it’s not required, and it costs extra!
5. Law enforcement, generally, has no jurisdiction over accidents/incidents that occur on private property – so, they will probably not come.
Documentation is your protection. Even when you follow all steps, some people may deny responsibility, so preserve evidence whenever possible.