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Top 3 Things to Know If You Are in a Motor Vehicle Accident:

1. Be covered

Before you get behind the wheel, make sure you are covered! Vehicles with a Florida registration are only required by Florida Law to have a minimum of $10,000 in Personal Injury Protection AND a minimum of $10,000 in property damage liability coverage. There are many drivers on the road with minimal coverage. Check your automobile insurance and make sure you carry underinsured/uninsured motorist coverage to be covered for your injuries, even if you are hit by an uninsured driver. 

2. Document

In the event you are in a motor vehicle accident, document everything. If you are able, move your car off the road and onto the shoulder, and dial 911 to report an accident. If possible, document the accident with an official accident report, photographs of the scene, photographs of the damage to your vehicle and to any other involved vehicles, obtain the names and contact information of eyewitnesses, and document your injuries.

3. Seek Medical Treatment

You may recognize that you have an injury right away. If you or your passengers are injured, wait for emergency personnel to arrive and treat you appropriately. Even if you do not think you are injured, your adrenaline may have masked the initial pain and you may not even realize an injury has occurred until the adrenaline has subsided. If you do not receive medical treatment at the scene of the accident, seek treatment afterward to get checked out.

Personal Injury Protection, or "No-Fault" car insurance, is mandated by the state of Florida for all drivers to carry. PIP pays for injuries you sustain in an accident regardless of who was at-fault in the accident. To qualify for PIP payments, you must seek medical treatment within 14 days.

The personal injury attorneys at Douglas Law Firm know exactly what is at stake in every personal injury case. We provide tough, skilled representation in all types of injury cases, including:

• Car accidents
• Truck accidents
• Motorcycle accidents
• Boating accidents
• Dog bites
• Slip and fall accidents
• General negligence