Should I Call 911 After a Jacksonville Car Accident?
The answer to whether you should call 911 after you get into a car accident in Jacksonville is simple. In most situations, you do not have a choice.
You must call 911 if anyone is hurt or killed in a car accident.
But what if everyone says they feel fine? In this situation, you should still consider calling the police from the accident scene. Calling the police will help you document the accident.
Here are the laws you can use to decide whether you should call 911 after a Jacksonville car accident.
When You Must Call 911 After a Jacksonville Car Accident
Florida law sets out three situations when you must report an accident immediately:
- Death
- Injury
- More than $500 in damage to any single car
When you have an accident that causes any of these, you must report the accident by the “quickest means of communication.” If you have a working cell phone, calling 911 will fulfill the quickest means. If your phone was damaged in the crash, you might need to borrow a phone from the other driver or a bystander to fulfill your duty.
If the crash happened within city limits, you must contact the local police department. If the crash happened outside of city limits, you must contact the county sheriff or the Florida Highway Patrol. When you call 911, the dispatcher will send the correct law enforcement agency to your accident.
If you fail to report an accident, you could be fined or face other penalties.
When You Should Call 911 After a Jacksonville Car Accident
Because Florida law requires you to call 911 after every accident involving an injury, an insurer can use a failure to call 911 against you. According to their logic, you had an obligation to call 911 if you were injured. Since you did not call 911, you must not have been injured and your claim must be denied.
To reduce this risk, it is best to report any kind of accident. Calling 911 helps you preserve your option to file an insurance claim later.
According to Florida’s insurance regulators, the state investigates over 1,300 cases of auto insurance fraud every year.
As a result, insurers harbor deep skepticism about any claim made without a police accident report. If you file a claim without a report, you run the risk of a claim denial.
Even if you do not feel injured after an accident, you should consider calling the police. The $500 damage requirement is very low, and almost any collision except the most minor of bumper scratches will meet the threshold.
This call will ensure that an official record of your crash exists. It will also provide a crash report that explains what happened, who was involved, and who bears the blame.
Also, even if you do not feel injured, you might have an injury. Some examples of injuries that might not be apparent include:
Delayed Injuries
Some injuries take time to manifest. For example, a spinal cord injury can result from a herniated disc in your spine. You can suffer a herniated disc and only later experience symptoms as the disc worsens and the hernia presses on your spinal cord.
Calling 911 will document the accident in case you have an injury that appears later or worsens over time.
Hidden Injuries
Some injuries might not have any obvious signs. For example, a concussion can manifest merely as pressure in your head. A broken rib might just make your chest feel tight. If you call 911 at the accident scene and seek medical attention afterward, you might catch some of these injuries and get compensation for them.
When Not to Call 911 After a Jacksonville Car Accident
If you only have property damage, both vehicles remain driveable, and the damage is less than $500 on each vehicle. Otherwise, you should consider calling the police to report your Jacksonville car accident. Contact a car accident lawyer in Jacksonville if you have questions about your rights after a car accident.
What Should I Do After a Car Accident in Jacksonville?
Contact the Jacksonville Car Accident Law Firm of Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers Today For Help
For more information, please contact the Jacksonville and Ponte Vedra car accident law firm of Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers at the nearest location to schedule a free consultation today.
We serve in Duval County, St, Johns County, and its surrounding areas:
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Jacksonville
9471 Baymeadows Rd #105,
Jacksonville, FL 32256, United States
(904) 396-1100
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Downtown Jacksonville
121 W. Forsyth St. #170
Jacksonville, FL 32202
(904) 822-4225
Baggett Law Personal Injury Lawyers – Ponte Vedra
480 Town Plaza Ave #130,
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32081
(904) 675-1167