Florida law gives you 10 days to report a car accident in Jacksonville if any of the following apply:
- Injuries
- Loss of life
- Apparent intoxication or drug use
- Property damage that appears to be over $500
- Any vehicle that needs a tow truck
- A driver who fled the scene
- Commercial vehicles
You Must Stay at the Scene and Render Aid
Florida law requires any driver involved in an accident to stay at the scene to give aid or identification.
As car accident lawyers in Jacksonville, we recommend that you promptly report all accidents to law enforcement. If you are unsure which police agency has authority, contact the Florida Highway Patrol from your cell phone.
Florida Highway Patrol 24-hour Phone Line
From your cell phone, dial * (star symbol) 3-4-7. A straightforward way to remember this is *-F-H-P. Florida Highway Patrol will notify the proper law enforcement agency and/or send an officer to the scene. This will also send paramedics to the scene.
Reporting an Accident to Law Enforcement
If anyone in the accident is injured, call 9-1-1 for help from Jacksonville Police. Try to remain calm and give the dispatcher as much information as possible. Follow the dispatcher’s instructions to give aid to the injured.
Other Required Actions Following a Car Accident in Jacksonville
There are several other actions you need to take after a car accident. Once you have called for police and/or medical help, move your car out of traffic (if your car is drivable). Get off the main road and onto the shoulder, or if you are in the left lane of a divided highway, onto the median.
If you cannot move your vehicle, put on your emergency blinkers. If you have roadside flares, put them around your car. This is to alert passing motorists and hopefully avoid another collision.
Share Your Identification and Insurance Information with All Involved Drivers
Florida law requires that you give your name, phone number, and insurance information to all involved drivers after a car accident in Jacksonville. You must keep your driver’s license, insurance card, and vehicle registration handy to show to the police when they arrive.
Our Recommendations as Car Accident Lawyers in Jacksonville
A Jacksonville personal injury lawyer will recommend that you report all accidents, even minor ones. There are a few reasons that the team at the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine recommends this:
- Reporting the collision strengthens an insurance claim you may file for accident-related injuries.
- You can use any citations police officers issued to the other driver to show negligence.
- Police must get all involved people’s names and contact numbers, including witnesses, which may be useful for proving liability.
- The other driver may claim the accident did not happen if you did not report it.
- The other driver may claim you caused it if you did not report it.
We also recommend that you use your cell phone to take pictures of the following, if possible:
- Exterior and/or interior damages
- The vehicles at the scene, including landmarks and street signs
- Skid marks
- Any debris including vehicle parts, tree limbs, or other objects that were part of the accident
Once You Have Reported the Accident and Received Medical Attention, Call a Jacksonville Car Accident Lawyer
Unless law enforcement has reported the accident, you must file a driver’s report within 10 days after a car accident in Jacksonville. It would be best if you also got medical attention. Some conditions, like whiplash, can take a few hours or days to appear. It is important that you document your physical and mental health in case you qualify for compensation.
You should call a car accident lawyer in Jacksonville as soon as you are well enough to do so. The Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine offers free consultations at your home, the hospital, or our private offices. You may qualify to recover compensation for damages such as medical bills, car repairs, lost pay, pain and suffering, and other expenses.
The Anidjar & Levine Team Is Waiting for Your Call
Our car accident lawyers will pursue compensation for you on a contingency basis – you pay no fees unless we recover damages. For a free, no-obligation case evaluation, please call the Law Offices of Anidjar & Levine today at 1-800-747-3733.
