Tampa, Florida Car Accident Lawyer Explains What to Do if You’ve Been in an Accident

As disturbing and stressful as car accidents are, you will probably be in at least one car accident in your lifetime. If the accident occurred and someone was injured, one of the first steps you should take is to contact a Tampa car accident lawyer. Clark and Martino, P.A. is a group of Tampa based auto accident lawyers who are experienced in assisting car accident victims all over the state of Florida with all of their needs, including taking car accident injury cases to trial before a jury, if need be.

To protect yourself and your rights, here is what you should and should not do if you’ve been involved in a car accident with injuries in the Tampa Bay area or anywhere in Florida.

Things you should do:

Take pictures of the scene (location of the vehicles, debris in the road, skid marks/gouges/scrapes in the pavement), damage to all vehicles involved and any injuries suffered (even bruising from the seatbelt).
Go to a doctor immediately.
Tell the doctor each and every symptom you have or are experiencing (any change in the way you have felt since the accident, even if temporary), even if you think it may be outside of their area of expertise.
During all the medical care you receive for your injuries, keep records of dates, who you saw, what was done, what medications were prescribed, what was discussed, etc. If you don’t feel well enough to maintain this information, ask a friend or family member to do it for you.
Ask your doctor and all other medical care practitioners to maintain thorough, precise records of your injuries and progress.
Select an experienced Tampa personal injury attorney as soon as possible.
Make sure the Tampa auto accident lawyer you choose is experienced in trial law. Attorneys who have little experience in trials may be more prone to settle for less than you deserve out of court. Every Tampa car accident lawyer at Clark and Martino, P.A., has vast experience in trial law. Insurance companies are aware of our stellar reputation and know we are capable of taking any car accident case to trial.
Your Tampa, Florida personal injury attorney also should be able to assist you in identifying doctors and medical specialists who can treat your injuries compassionately and also understand the importance of meticulous records.
Call your Tampa auto accident lawyer after every medical appointment and tell your attorney’s office what happened when you visited the doctor.

Things you should not do:

Do not speak to an insurance company, except to fulfill your obligation to tell your insurance company about the accident. Otherwise, tell insurance companies that you have retained legal counsel and refer them to your car accident lawyer.
Do not give statements (either oral or written) to anybody.
Do not admit any type of fault in the accident to anyone.
Do not post anything about the accident online.
Do not reveal the limits of your insurance coverage, including your car insurance, health insurance, homeowner’s insurance, etc.
Do not seek advance funding on your case without consulting with your car accident lawyer as the terms of the funding agreements offered to clients may not serve your best interests in many instances. Often times, the costs of the transaction outweigh the benefits of receiving the funds immediately and the other potential problems that can arise. The Florida Bar discourages the use of non-recourse advance funding companies.

The Tampa, Florida auto accident attorneys at Clark and Martino, P.A., are committed to serving car accident victims throughout the Tampa Bay area and the state of Florida. Please call us at 1-888-868-5615 to set up a free initial consultation about your car accident. Once you meet with us in our elegant Tampa building and speak with a car accident lawyer, you will be relieved to know that we can take care of the entire legal process, from filling out paperwork to speaking with insurance companies to going to trial.