What Do I Need To Do in Case of an Auto Accident?

You were just going about your day. Then a crash happened in an instant, and now your heart is pounding and your mind is racing. What you do in the next few minutes, and the next few days, can shape your health, your claim, and how the whole thing turns out. Here’s exactly what to do.

TL;DR — QUICK SUMMARY

• Get to safety, check for injuries, and call 911 so there’s an official record of the crash.
• Document everything: take photos and video of the vehicles, the scene, and your injuries, and collect witness names and numbers.
• Find out if the other driver was working for Uber, Lyft, or another rideshare or delivery service, because that can open additional insurance coverage.
• You don’t always need the ER, but you must seek medical care within 14 days to protect your Florida PIP benefits.
• Under Florida Statute 95.11(3)(a), you generally have two years to file an injury lawsuit, but evidence and benefit deadlines come much sooner.

What should you do immediately after an auto accident in Tampa?

First, get yourself and your passengers to safety, then call 911. Even when a crash seems minor, an official police report creates the documentation you’ll rely on later, and an officer can call for medical help if anyone is hurt. Everything else flows from those first two moves: be safe, and make the crash official.

From there, your job at the scene is simple to remember and easy to forget in the moment: document what happened and protect your health. The driver who hit you may be apologetic now and tell a very different story to the insurance company later, so the evidence you gather today is what holds the truth in place.

At The Reyes Firm, a Tampa personal injury law firm, we’ve seen strong claims weakened by a few missing photos and weak claims saved by a single witness phone number. The difference is what you do in the first hour.

⚠️ Deadline Warning: Under Florida Statute § 95.11(3)(a), you generally have two years from the date of your crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Evidence disappears far faster than that, though, and your PIP benefits require treatment within 14 days. The sooner you act, the stronger your case.

Why does documenting the scene matter so much?

Because liability often comes down to evidence, not memory. Photos, video, and witness accounts capture the facts before they can be disputed, and they’re the foundation of any claim against the at-fault driver.

Use your phone to capture as much as you safely can: the position of both vehicles, the damage to each, the license plates, the other driver’s insurance and registration, traffic signals and signs, skid marks, and any visible injuries. Take wide shots and close-ups. Shoot video that pans across the whole scene. If anyone saw what happened, get their name and phone number, because witnesses leave quickly and are hard to track down later.

Call law enforcement so there’s a police report. The report may not be admissible at trial, but it carries real weight before a lawsuit, helping establish liability and giving you something solid to point to if the other driver later changes their story.

💡 Did You Know? Florida’s 14-day rule is one of the most important deadlines after a crash. Under Florida Statute § 627.736, you must receive initial medical care within 14 days of the accident to be eligible for Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits, which provide a $10,000 minimum regardless of fault. Miss that window and your own insurer can deny the claim. Source: Fla. Stat. § 627.736.

Watch: What Do I Need to Do in Case of an Auto Accident?

In this short video, attorney Edward Reyes walks through the quick, practical things every Florida driver should do right after a crash to protect their health and their claim.

If you have questions the video doesn’t cover, The Reyes Firm offers free consultations, so you can call 833-4 BAD DAY any time.

Do you have to go to the hospital after a car accident?

Not always, but you do need to be seen by a medical provider, and soon. If you’re seriously hurt, go to the emergency room without hesitation. If your injuries feel minor but you have any pain, you don’t necessarily need a costly ER visit just to create a record. A walk-in clinic or urgent care can document your condition and start treatment.

What you should not do is wait it out. Adrenaline masks pain, and injuries like whiplash, concussions, and soft-tissue damage often don’t surface for a day or two. Getting checked promptly does two things at once: it protects your health, and it preserves your PIP benefits under Florida’s 14-day rule. A gap between the crash and your first treatment is one of the first things an insurer uses to argue you weren’t really injured.

What if the other driver was working for Uber or Lyft?

This is an easy detail to miss and an important one to catch. If the driver who hit you was logged into Uber, Lyft, or a delivery app at the time, additional commercial insurance coverage may apply on top of the driver’s personal policy. That can significantly change the resources available to cover your injuries.

So at the scene, note whether the other vehicle has rideshare or delivery decals, and if it’s safe to ask, find out whether the driver was on a trip. Rideshare accident claims involve layered coverage and corporate insurers, which makes them more complex than a standard two-car crash and a strong reason to have a lawyer involved early.

🛡️ Your Rights Under Florida Law: Under Florida Statute § 768.81, your compensation is reduced by your share of fault, and you may be barred from recovery if you are found more than 50% responsible for the crash. This is exactly why scene documentation matters: the photos and witnesses you gather help a Tampa car accident lawyer keep your percentage of fault as low as the evidence allows.

What are the 7 steps to take after an auto accident in Tampa?

These seven steps protect your health and your legal case. The order matters.

1. Get to safety and check for injuries. Move out of traffic if you can, and turn on your hazards. Your safety comes before anything else.
2. Call 911 and get a police report. Report the crash and any injuries. Write down the report number before you leave the scene.
3. Take lots of photos and video. Capture both vehicles, the damage, license plates, the scene, traffic signals, and any visible injuries. More is better.
4. Collect witness and driver information. Get the other driver’s name, insurance, and registration, and the names and phone numbers of any witnesses. Note whether the other driver was working for a rideshare or delivery service.
5. Get medical care within 14 days. Go to the ER for serious injuries, or a walk-in clinic for lesser pain, but don’t skip treatment. This protects your health and your PIP benefits.
6. Don’t give a recorded statement or admit fault. Stick to facts at the scene, and decline a recorded statement to any insurer until you’ve spoken with a lawyer.
7. Call The Reyes Firm. Before you negotiate or sign anything, a Tampa car accident attorney will protect your claim and deal with the insurers for you. Call 833-4 BAD DAY for a free consultation.

How The Reyes Firm handles your auto accident case

The hours after a crash are chaotic, and no one expects you to think like a lawyer while you’re shaken and in pain. That’s our job. We take the documentation you gathered and build it into a case.

When we take on an auto accident case, we typically:

• Preserve and expand the evidence, gathering the police report, scene photos, medical records, and witness statements, and tracking down footage or data before it disappears
• Identify every source of coverage, including the at-fault driver’s policy, your own PIP, and any rideshare or commercial insurance that applies
• Handle the insurance companies for you, shielding you from recorded-statement requests and fast lowball offers designed to close your claim cheap
• Value your full claim, covering medical bills, future treatment, lost wages, and the real impact the crash has had on your life
• Push back on unfair blame, challenging attempts to raise your share of fault and preparing the case as if it will go to trial

No lawyer can promise an outcome. What we can promise is that you won’t face the insurance companies alone after your bad day. We explain every step in plain language, and because we work on a contingency fee basis, you pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you.

Frequently asked questions about what to do after an auto accident in Tampa

What is the very first thing I should do after a car accident?

Get to safety and check for injuries, then call 911. An official police report and medical attention for anyone hurt are the two priorities. Everything else, photos, witnesses, insurance details, comes right after.

Do I have to call the police for a minor accident?

It’s strongly recommended. A police report documents the crash and helps establish liability, which is invaluable if the other driver later changes their story. Even when damage looks minor, calling law enforcement protects you.

Do I need to go to the emergency room after a crash?

Only if your injuries are serious. For lesser pain, a walk-in clinic or urgent care can document your condition without the high cost of an ER visit. What matters is getting seen within 14 days to preserve your PIP benefits.

Why does it matter if the other driver was using Uber or Lyft?

If the driver was logged into a rideshare or delivery app, additional commercial insurance coverage may apply on top of their personal policy. That can expand the compensation available, so it’s an important detail to note at the scene.

Should I admit fault or apologize at the scene?

No. Even a polite “I’m sorry” can be twisted into an admission of fault later. Stick to exchanging information and documenting the scene, and let the evidence establish what actually happened.

How long do I have to file a claim after a Florida car accident?

Under Fla. Stat. § 95.11(3)(a), you generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit. Practical deadlines arrive sooner, though, including the 14-day treatment window for PIP and your policy’s reporting requirement.

Does The Reyes Firm handle car accidents across Tampa Bay?

Yes. The Reyes Firm represents injured drivers and passengers throughout Hillsborough County and the greater Tampa Bay area, and consultations are always free.

About the Attorney

Edward Reyes, Esq.

Edward Reyes, Esq. is a Florida Bar-admitted personal injury attorney and the founder of The Reyes Firm in Tampa, Florida. His practice focuses on serious injury and wrongful death cases arising from commercial vehicle crashes, including delivery truck accidents involving FedEx, UPS, Amazon, and other carriers. Edward Reyes, Esq. represents injured Floridians in Tampa and throughout Hillsborough County on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay nothing unless the firm recovers compensation for them.
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