At the scene
Check for injuries first and call 911 if anyone is hurt. If the cars can move and nobody is hurt, Florida law asks you to move them out of the travel lanes, and moving your car does not make you at fault.
Exchange name, address, phone, registration and insurance information with the other driver. Take photos of both cars, both plates, the damage up close, the whole scene, and any skid marks or debris.
Say what happened. Do not say it was your fault, even to be polite. That is for the report and the adjusters to sort out.
The crash report
If police, sheriff or highway patrol come and write a report, you are covered. Get the report number before you leave.
If no officer investigates and the damage is 500 dollars or more, Florida Statute 316.066 requires you to file a written crash report within 10 days. The state's driver self report form is the way to do it. Keep a copy.
Even for small dents, a report is the paper trail your claim rests on. Do not skip it because the other driver seemed nice.
The 14 day rule if you are hurt
Florida is a no fault state. Your own personal injury protection coverage pays first for your medical care, up to 10,000 dollars, no matter who caused the crash.
The catch is timing. You must get initial medical care within 14 days of the crash or that coverage will not pay. Soreness that shows up on day three still counts, but only if you see a doctor before day fourteen.
This is a car repair guide, not legal advice. If you are injured, talk to a lawyer about the rest.
Your claim and your shop
When you open the claim, tell the insurer which shop you want. They may suggest options. Under Florida Statute 626.9743, if an insurer requires a particular shop, the repair has to bring the car back to its pre-loss condition in performance and appearance at no extra cost to you.
If you want the car at GO TIME, say so on the first call and give them our address, 17440 NW 2nd Ave, Unit C. We handle the photos, the written estimate and the back and forth on any supplement so you do not have to.
Hidden damage
A bumper cover is plastic and it springs back. Behind it are the absorber, the reinforcement bar, parking sensors and, on newer cars, radar. A small looking hit can bend all of that.
A hit on a wheel or corner can knock the alignment out and bend a control arm, which you feel as a pull or uneven tire wear weeks later. Seat belt pretensioners fire in some crashes and need replacing even when the airbags did not go off.
Cars with lane keeping and automatic braking often need their cameras and sensors recalibrated after body work. That belongs on the estimate.
Getting the car fixed right
You get a written estimate before any work starts, with tax on parts only and a warranty length you choose. If we find more damage once panels come off, the work stops, we document it, and a supplement goes to the insurer before we continue.
Until the car is fixed, do not drive it if a fluid is leaking, a tire is rubbing, a light is out or the hood latch is damaged. Tow it in instead. A short tow is cheaper than a second accident.