What to do if you are in a Car Crash

Car Accident Cases

Car accidents are a leading cause of injuries in Florida. According to The Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles Department, in 2018 there were 403,626 motor vehicle crashes in the state of Florida. In those crashes, 236,157 people suffered injuries, and 3,135 were killed.

Car accidents happen because of many reasons:

• A driver is driving too fast for conditions existing on the roadway at the time, for example, it’s dark, it’s raining, visibility is reduced, or traffic is heavy.
• A driver is distracted by texting or looking at a cell phone, talking on the phone, talking to a passenger, or eating.
• A driver is careless by driving too close to the vehicle in front of it, changing lanes without checking blind spots, running through red lights while drivers are turning in the intersection, or failing to pay attention to what’s happening on the roadway.
• A driver is operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
• A driver is operating a motor vehicle while fatigued.

If you are involved in a car accident, do the following as soon as you are able, or have someone do them for you:

CALL THE POLICE. Report the accident to the police. A crash report will be helpful when making a personal injury claim against the other driver or when making a claim with your own insurance company for medical benefits or damage to your vehicle.

CALL YOUR INSURANCE COMPANY. Report the accident to your own automobile insurance company, even if the other driver is at fault. Failure to timely notify your insurance company of an accident may give them the right to deny benefits otherwise provided to you in your insurance policy.

GO TO THE DOCTOR. Get treatment for your injuries immediately, even if at the time of the accident, you feel like you only have minor injuries. Often, you may not notice or feel the full extent of an injury until the excitement of the incident wears off, which may be hours or even days later. An immediate doctor’s visit will document your injuries and give credibility to your case from the time of the accident.

CALL THE CRENSHAW LAW FIRM. Andre Crenshaw, Esq. is an automobile accident attorney with more than 20 years of experience handling car crash cases in Florida. To schedule a free consultation with your Miramar Florida Car Accident Attorney, call us at (954) 430-3030; email us at info@crenshawlawfirm.com, or complete and submit our online contact form.