After a Car Accident in Palm Beach Gardens, Know Your Next Steps

Who to Call After a Car Accident in Palm Beach Gardens

Who should I call after a car accident in Palm Beach Gardens? If you were just in one, call 911 first when anyone is hurt. Then get medical care, report the crash to police, and get legal advice before you give any insurer a recorded statement. This guide explains that order. It also explains why each step matters, whether the crash seemed minor or serious.

Your First Calls After a Crash: 911, Medical Care, and the Police Report

Call 911 right away if anyone is hurt, a lane is blocked, or the other driver leaves the scene.

• Ask for police. Officers can create an official crash report. It records what they saw at the scene.
• See a doctor the same day, even if you feel fine. Some injuries may not cause symptoms right away. These include concussions, neck injuries, and back injuries. A doctor can check for them.
• Take photos. Capture both vehicles, license plates, the road, skid marks, and any visible injuries.
• Write down names. Get witness names and the other driver’s insurance details.
• Ask how to get the report. The investigating agency may make the crash report available after its investigation.

Your medical records and the crash report may become important proof later. Gaps in treatment may lead an insurer to question your injuries. Keep every appointment. Follow your doctor’s plan.

Who Should I Call After a Car Accident, and in What Order

Call 911 first. Then call a doctor, then your own insurer, then CHG Personal Injury Lawyers before any recorded statement.

1. 911 and police. This protects you from further danger. It also starts the official record.
2. Your doctor or urgent care. This creates the medical record that supports your injuries.
3. Your own auto insurer. Report the crash promptly. Ask about personal injury protection (PIP) and uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage on your policy.
4. Legal advice from CHG Personal Injury Lawyers. Get it before you give a recorded statement or sign a release.

Adjusters for the other driver’s insurer may ask for a recorded statement early. You can say you are still being evaluated by a doctor. You can also say you will follow up in writing. That keeps your words accurate while your injuries are still unclear.

What CHG Personal Injury Lawyers Handles After a Car Accident

CHG Personal Injury Lawyers is a Florida firm. It focuses on personal injury cases, including car accidents, truck accidents, and catastrophic injury claims.

• Who we represent: drivers, passengers, pedestrians, motorcyclists, and families of people killed in crashes.
• What we do: We speak with insurers. We gather the crash report and medical records. We review your losses. We negotiate or file suit when needed.
• Serious injuries: spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and paralysis. These can change a person’s life permanently.
• Where we serve: CHG Personal Injury Lawyers is a Florida-based firm with its office in Coral Gables, Florida, serving clients throughout Florida, including people injured in Palm Beach Gardens and West Palm Beach.

We handle personal injury cases of many severities, including serious harm. So we look at long-term effects, not only the first bills. We do not promise results. Every case depends on its own facts.

Florida Rules That Affect Your Car Accident Claim

Florida law generally sets filing deadlines. It may also divide damages based on each party’s share of fault. So early review matters.

• Time limits. Florida’s limitations statute generally sets deadlines for filing suit. These deadlines depend on the type of action. Don’t wait to find out which one applies to you.
• Shared fault. Under § 768.81, Florida’s comparative fault statute, a person found more than 50% at fault generally faces a bar on recovering damages in a negligence action filed after March 24, 2023, though exceptions apply, such as certain medical negligence claims. Whether and how this limit applies depends on the facts of each case and on Florida law.
• PIP. Under § 627.736, an insurance policy that meets Florida’s security requirements must provide personal injury protection benefits. Check what your own policy provides.
• Uninsured and underinsured coverage. These coverages can matter if the at-fault driver has no insurance or too little. § 627.727 sets rules for them.

No one can promise how a claim will turn out. Each case turns on its facts, the evidence, and the insurance involved.

What to Say and Not Say to Insurance Companies

Keep calls with insurers short. Don’t give a recorded statement or sign a release without legal advice.

• Don’t guess about speed, your injuries, or who was at fault.
• Say you are still being evaluated by a doctor.
• Don’t sign medical authorizations or releases you don’t understand.
• Keep copies of every letter, bill, and call log.
• Put requests in writing whenever you can.

Understanding your options can help you decide on your next step. Under § 627.4137, an insurer that may provide liability coverage must provide a statement under oath. It must do so within 30 days of a written request. That statement includes the limits of its liability coverage.

How Working With CHG Personal Injury Lawyers Works

You share the basics. We investigate and handle the insurer. You focus on your recovery.

1. Case evaluation. Share the crash date, location, injuries, and insurance details by phone or online.
2. Investigation. We gather the crash report, medical records, photos, and witness statements.
3. Insurance and demand. We handle the insurer while you focus on treatment.
4. Negotiation, mediation, or lawsuit. Timelines vary by case. No one can promise a result.

No fees up front. CHG charges no attorney’s fees and no case costs unless there is a recovery.

Frequently Asked Questions About Calling a Car Accident Lawyer