Ten Things You Should Do If You Are Injured In A Florida Car Accident

In 2009, there were almost 250,000 car accidents in Florida. If you are ever in a Florida traffic accident, are you prepared? Do you know what to do if you are injured?

Our car accident lawyers in West Palm Beach offer the following tips:

1. Keep a vehicle emergency kit in your trunk. For more information, see our article, "West Palm Beach Accident Attorney: 20 Things To Keep In A Car Safety Kit". You should also carry a flash light, cell phone, camera, and a pen and paper for taking notes; although a smart phone can fill all those functions. If you have any medical conditions or allergies, wear an alert bracelet or carry a card with your medical information. You should also keep a card with emergency contact numbers in your glove compartment. If you have a smart phone, you can download an app for this information.

2. Call the police and stay at the scene until you are told you can leave.

3. Get out of the road. If you are able to, move your car to the side of the road and out of the way of oncoming traffic. This will prevent you from being involved in a secondary accident. If you can't safely move the car, stay in your seat with the seat belt on and turn on your hazard lights. If it is safe to do so, set out cones or flares to warn other drivers.

4. See a doctor. If you are injured, getting treatment for your injuries should be your first priority. Even if you don't think you are injured, call your doctor and ask to be screened for hidden injuries. Many neck, head and back injuries don't show symptoms until days after the crash. Seeing a doctor helps provide evidence of your injury to insurance companies looking for a reason to deny medical coverage. Follow up with any suggested medical care.

5. Exchange information with the other driver. Get the name, address, phone number, insurance company, policy number, driver license number and license plate number for each driver involved in the accident. You may also want to write down a description the year, make, model and color of the car.

6. Get contact information for any witnesses.

7. Document the accident. Use your cell phone's camera to take pictures of the damage to all the vehicles and of the accident scene, including any skid marks or property damage.

8. File an accident report. If a police officer comes to the scene, he will file the report. Ask how to get a copy. If it was a minor accident and no officer came to the scene, you can file a report at a local police station. This is important evidence to support your accident claim.

9. Notify your insurance company. Don't give too many details. They just need the date, time and location of the accident.

10. Download our free book, What the Insurance Companies Don't Want You to Know. Before accepting a settlement, contact a car accident lawyer in West Palm Beach. The Law Offices of Craig Goldenfarb offer free consultations to Florida injury victims. We'll let you know if the settlement offer is fair or if you are entitled to more money.