Sean | June 8, 2023

If you’ve been involved in a car accident in St. Petersburg, FL, you may be wondering if you need to call 911. After all, some car accidents are resolved without insurance or a lawsuit. Perhaps notifying 911 will only make it more complicated.

The answer is that it depends. There are certain times that you should call 911 after a car accident. There are also certain times that you are legally required to file a car accident report. You must follow through with your reporting requirements so that you don’t get into legal trouble. 

Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident?

Under Florida law, you have to call the police after an accident in certain situations. If the crash involved death or injury to a person (whether it is yourself, a passenger, or the other driver) then you must immediately call law enforcement. This includes injury to:

• Yourself
• A passenger
• Another driver 
• A pedestrian
• A biker
• Or any other person 

If the crash resulted in $500 or more in property damage, you also must immediately call 911 — even if no one is injured. It may be difficult to know whether or not the damage will be over $500. It is better to be safe than sorry and call the police if there is any property damage, at all.

The Benefit Of Calling The Police After An Accident

If you are worried about being blamed for an accident, it is normal to feel scared about involving law enforcement. However, there are many benefits to calling the police after an accident. It can help your legal case down the line.

The first main benefit is that by calling 911, even in a minor car accident, you will get immediate medical treatment. If you’ve been hurt in the crash, a paramedic can assess your injuries and help you. This is important for your health, but also to build a record in your future legal case. The paramedics and the police will document your injuries and that documentation can be used later if necessary. 

The second main benefit of calling the police is that they will write a police report and investigate the cause of the accident. This will include documenting the scene, photographing the vehicles, and interviewing witnesses. 

A police investigation is very valuable evidence in a case. In many instances, by the time your car accident case goes to insurance or trial, physical evidence is gone. Cars have been repaired and witnesses may be unavailable. By calling the police onto the scene, you are building a record of evidence for later.

Should I Call My Insurance Company After A Minor Accident?

After you’ve gotten medical treatment, spoken with the police, and left the scene, you may wonder if you need to call your insurance company. Especially when it’s just a minor accident. 

Florida is a no-fault state when it comes to car insurance reporting. That means that if you are hurt, you must first call your own insurance company and file a claim. You will go through your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) policy. 

PIP insurance is mandatory for Florida drivers. You first file a claim with your PIP insurance. If the policy is paid out and you still have remaining damages, then you can file a personal injury lawsuit if your injuries are serious enough. This will include situations where you have permanent injuries or permanent loss of an important bodily function. 

Contact a St. Petersburg Car Accident Attorney for Help

In addition to calling the police and your insurance, it can be helpful to call a car accident attorney. They can give you the best advice about what you need to do following a car crash. 

Contact a St. Petersburg car accident lawyer at Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys and schedule a free case review today.

Lopez Accident Injury Attorneys
700 7th Ave N Suite B
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 933-0015