EspañolWhat to Do if You Are Injured in Florida but Live Out of State
Being injured in an accident is never easy, but being far from home when it happens can increase the stress and hassle you need to go through as part of your recovery. Working with a local lawyer is often the best way to get your case handled.
When you get hurt, you typically file an injury case in the location where the accident happened. That means filing your case here in Florida. Our lawyers can advise you on what immediate steps to take and what steps to take as you recover from your injuries, return home, and file claims through insurance and the courts.
For a free case evaluation, call the Miami personal injury attorneys at Graves Injury Law Firm at (305) 614-2767 today.
What Steps to Take After an Accident in Florida
In the immediate aftermath of your accident, take these steps:
Report Car Accidents
If you were injured in a car crash, Florida law requires you to report it to the police. Call 911 and let them know you’ve been in a crash.
Get Medical Attention
Whether you were in a car accident or another type of accident, call 911 and request an ambulance if you need it. If the ambulance crew thinks you should go to the hospital, do so.
If you do not need an ambulance, you should go to the hospital yourself. Treatment usually must happen at a hospital rather than an urgent care clinic or another clinic because of the way that billing works in injury cases.
Do not worry if treatment is in network; we usually aren’t trying to use your health insurance at the end of the day, but rather we try to get the bills covered by the defendant, by auto insurance, etc.
Collect Evidence
If you are able to stay at the scene – or while waiting for the ambulance – gather what evidence you can:
- Witness and defendant contact info
- Car insurance info and vehicle info, if it was a car accident
- Photos of the accident scene, any damage, and any objects or premises that injured you
- Note whether any security cameras or dash cams might have caught the accident on video.
Call a Lawyer
Then, call a lawyer. Do not talk to insurance, negotiate with the at-fault parties, accept any money, or sign anything until you talk to us.
We can also help collect your medical records and track your care and other expenses, so that you can transfer them back home as you continue to get care. We can also use the records we obtain as evidence in your eventual case.
What Kind of Lawyer Do You Call if You Get Hurt in Florida?
It is vital to call a personal injury lawyer licensed in Florida to handle your case if you were hurt in Florida.
Personal Injury Lawyer
Our attorneys handle all kinds of personal injury cases, from car accidents and slip and falls to more serious and complex injury cases.
We even handle Workers’ Compensation and work injury cases, so if you were hurt on a business trip, we can help you figure out how to best file your case, whether a lawsuit is possible, and how Workers’ Comp may be able to pay for your injuries more quickly.
Florida-Licensed Lawyer
Our Miami personal injury attorneys practice throughout South Florida and throughout the state, helping locals and tourists alike file their injury cases. It is important to use a Florida attorney – that is, a lawyer who is licensed to practice in Florida.
If you try to use an out-of-state attorney from back home, they may not be legally allowed to take your case. Even if they are barred in Florida, they might not typically practice here and might be unfamiliar with Florida caselaw, procedural rules, and intricacies of the law.
How Does Car Insurance Work if You Are Hurt in Another State?
Car insurance systems are not always compatible between states, but there are usually ways to make them work.
Florida’s System
Florida uses a no-fault car insurance system, where each driver is supposed to have $10,000 of “PIP” (personal injury protection) insurance to cover their own injuries (at a particular rate). This means that you usually file with your insurance first, then you can only go after the defendant’s insurance if you suffer serious injuries.
How Your State Stacks Up
If you are from another state, you might not even have PIP if you are from an at-fault state. Even so, your policy should have a provision that covers you while traveling in another state.
How We File Claims
We will talk to your insurance and help you understand how your insurance interacts with Florida law.
Our ultimate goal is typically to get your damages paid by the at-fault party, meaning we would take them and their insurance to court to get your damages paid.
FAQs for Filing Injury Cases in Florida When You Live Somewhere Else
Do You Have to File in Florida?
Our lawyers can file the claim against the person or company who injured you here in Florida. Cases are usually filed where they happened, even if you and the other person might be from another state.
There may be exceptions, but procedural rules for jurisdiction and venue usually stop you from bringing the case somewhere else.
Do You File in Federal or State Court?
Sometimes it makes sense to file in federal court instead of state court when the defendant is from another state. We can discuss the pros and cons, but Florida law is still usually controlling even when you go to federal court like this.
Can You Handle the Case Remotely?
Today, there are often many ways to appear in court remotely. Our lawyers can also handle many of the day-to-day status updates and conferences without you, with no need for you to appear in court.
However, if you do need to make an in-person appearance, such as at trial, you may need to come back to Florida. Most cases settle well before trial, so that might not even be necessary at the end of the day.
Call Our Florida Personal Injury Attorneys Today
To get started with a free case evaluation, call Graves Injury Law Firm’s Florida personal injury attorneys at (305) 614-2767.