In the first hours and days after a collision, your priority is safety and medical care—but your next priority is protecting the record.
Do this if it’s safe:
- Get checked by a medical professional, even if you feel “mostly okay.” Some injuries (like concussions, soft-tissue damage, and lingering pain) show up later.
- Photograph the scene: lane position, turning lanes, signals, crosswalks, debris, and any traffic-control issues.
- Capture identifying details: the other vehicle’s plate, make/model, and driver/insurance information.
- Write down what you remember while it’s fresh: direction of travel, what the driver was doing (turning, merging, opening a door, failing to yield), and lighting/weather conditions.
If you’re contacted by insurance: don’t feel rushed to give a recorded statement. In Florida, insurers frequently look for inconsistencies between what you say early and what later appears in medical records.


