After a Crash in Florida — Official Resources
This is general information, not legal advice.
The official Florida resources for after a crash. Start with the first-steps checklist (including saving your dashcam clip before it loops), then work down this list.
Report the crash
Per the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, you must stay at the scene and call law enforcement if the crash involved injury or death, a hit-and-run, an impaired driver, or apparent damage of $500 or more.
For a minor crash below that line where no officer responded, you can file a Driver Report of a Traffic Crash yourself within 10 days — the form and the submission email are on FLHSMV's crash reports page.
See a doctor within 14 days
Florida is a no-fault state: injury bills go through your own Personal Injury Protection coverage first, no matter who caused the crash. Under Florida Statute §627.736, you must receive initial medical care from a qualifying provider within 14 days of the crash. Miss that window and your insurer can deny PIP benefits entirely — even if the crash clearly caused the injury, and even if it wasn't your fault.
The clock starts the day of the crash, not the day the pain shows up. If you feel anything at all, get looked at early.
Get the crash report
Buy the official report through the Florida Crash Portal — $10 per report plus a $2 transaction fee. Reports can take up to 10 days to become available.
For 60 days after filing, these reports are confidential under state law and released only to the people involved in the crash and other parties the statute names — so request yours yourself rather than waiting on someone else to pull it.
Hit-and-run
Call the police immediately — with a fled driver, the officer's report is the foundation of any claim. Your dashcam clip is the case: save it now and note the time and location. The 14-day PIP rule above still applies; your own coverage is what pays your medical bills either way. Uninsured-motorist coverage on your policy may also apply — ask your insurer, and use the consumer helpline below if you hit a wall.
Find a lawyer
The Florida Bar Lawyer Referral Service — 800-342-8011, weekdays 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with online referrals available anytime. A 30-minute consultation costs no more than $25. Local bar associations run their own services in Florida's major cities; the state Bar covers everywhere else.
Free legal help
FloridaLawHelp.org connects you with the legal aid organizations serving your county — free help for people who qualify.
Insurance problems
Florida's Division of Consumer Services runs the state Insurance Consumer Helpline: 877-693-5236 (out of state: 850-413-3089). They answer insurance questions, open files, and contact your insurer on your behalf — see the state's consumer page.
Driving without insurance yourself? You still have rights and steps worth taking — report the crash per the rules above, and lean on the free legal help listed here; it exists for exactly this kind of bind.
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Dashwatcher is a dashcam company, not a law firm, and nothing here is legal advice or a substitute for a licensed attorney. Reporting rules, deadlines, and programs differ by state and change over time; verify everything with the official source before you rely on it. Links go to government agencies, bar associations, and nonprofits. Dashwatcher receives no payment from any organization listed.
From the team at Dashwatcher.
Last verified: August 3, 2026