Car Accident

What do you do after a motor vehicle accident? Do you settle with the other driver directly? Do you let your insurance company cover your medical expenses from your PIP policy? Or do you try to negotiate a higher settlement with the insurance adjuster? While Florida is a no-fault state, meaning your own insurance covers your damages regardless of fault, Texas follows a fault-based system, where the at-fault driver's insurance is responsible. In both states, the process can be more complicated than it seems—especially when injuries are serious or insurance companies push back.

Insurance companies are for-profit entities and will fight you every step of the way. You may end up with huge hospital bills, which the PIP policy will not cover in a sufficient proportion, or with a lump sum settlement that is also inadequate. If you really want to obtain fair compensation for your expenses, pain and suffering, you should hire a car accident lawyer at VG Law Group.

We have extensive experience in counseling accident victims and helping them navigate the complex legal labyrinth that ensues even after a common car accident. We know how to negotiate on your behalf and bring forth the arguments and evidence needed to win the maximum compensation possible in each case. Contact us today to schedule a FREE consultation with an injury lawyer.

What Are the Causes of Common Car Accidents?

In most of the cases, car crashes happen because drivers do not use reasonable care when they are on the road. Thus, the top causes for accidents are:

Distracted Driving

This is a common type of negligent driver: distracted by their cell phone, listening to music or talking with the passengers in their car. A moment of not paying attention to the road may lead to a rear-end collision.

Reckless Driving

Reckless driving includes speeding above the limit, tailgating, and other types of aggressive driving. Things are made worse in inclement weather condition, when visibility is reduced and the roads are wet and slippery.

Drowsy Driving

A lot of people drive for long hours - especially truck drivers. They are forced to meet unrealistic delivery deadlines and skip on rest hours. A drowsy driver is no longer alert - their reflexes are sluggish and their visibility is reduced.

DUI Driving

Nobody should drink and drive. Unfortunately, it happens too many times (more to come in the statistics section below). A drunk driver is both reckless and impaired and can cause real tragedies on the roads.

Multi-Car Collisions

In this situation, a collision between two vehicles is compounded by other drivers failing to brake or avoid the crashed cars. In many cases, a large commercial vehicle is involved, usually after blocking the road and spilling the merchandise it is loaded with.

Car Accident Statistics in Florida and Texas

When it comes to car accidents, both Florida and Texas rank among the states with the highest number of crashes each year. Unfortunately, Florida also has one of the highest percentages of uninsured drivers, making it especially challenging for victims to recover compensation without the help of an experienced car accident lawyer. Similarly, Texas’s large population and extensive highway system contribute to a significant volume of serious and fatal collisions annually.

According to the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), there were 401,867 auto accidents reported in Florida in a recent year, including:

2,951 fatal crashes causing 3,185 deaths
14,252 incapacitating injury crashes
4,984 crashes involving a drunk driver

In Texas, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reported the following for a recent year:

4,481 traffic fatalities across the state
15,299 serious injury crashes, with 18,880 people sustaining a serious injury
A crash occurred every 57 seconds, and a person was killed every 1 hour and 57 minutes

These are not just numbers — they represent real people whose lives were lost or forever changed. Many are left with permanent injuries requiring long-term care, rehabilitation, or assistance with daily living. And no matter how cautiously you drive, the risk of being involved in a head-on collision, rear-end crash, or multi-vehicle pileup is always present.

That’s why it’s critical to understand your legal rights in both Florida and Texas. Whether you're dealing with a no-fault insurance claim in Florida or pursuing a fault-based claim in Texas, knowing the steps to take after an accident — and working with a skilled car accident attorney — can make all the difference in securing the compensation you deserve, whether through a settlement or a personal injury lawsuit.

Understanding the Complexities of No-Fault Insurance Laws

While Florida’s no-fault system and Texas’s fault-based system may seem straightforward on the surface, the reality is much more complicated. In Florida, drivers are required to carry Personal Injury Protection (PIP), while Texas law mandates liability insurance to cover others when you're at fault.

Here’s a look at the minimum coverage requirements:

Florida:

$10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
$10,000 Property Damage Liability (PDL)

Texas:

$30,000 per person / $60,000 per accident for Bodily Injury
$25,000 for Property Damage

In both states, optional coverages like Uninsured Motorist or PIP (in Texas) can offer additional protection—but many drivers decline them, leaving major gaps in coverage.

After a serious accident, medical bills can quickly exceed these minimums. Worse, insurance companies may delay or deny claims—especially if there’s a gap in medical treatment or a dispute over coverage for things like pain and suffering.

That’s why it’s critical to speak with a car accident attorney who understands how to navigate complex insurance policies, prove fault (where applicable), and fight for the full compensation you’re entitled to.

Types of Injuries that Allow You to Collect Compensation from the At-Fault Driver

Each car crash is unique. Accident injury victims may walk away with minor injuries, while vehicle repair costs may be very high. Or they may suffer very severe injuries that require surgery and weeks or even months spent in hospital.

What any law firm can tell you before analyzing your case is that you may recover expenses for:

medical expenses, including ambulance service, period of time spent in hospital, tests, surgeries and other medical procedures
future medical costs, if you are left with injuries requiring several surgeries over a period of time, or with permanent disability
lost wages and future loss of wages, if you are unable to perform your job as a result of your bodily injuries
rehabilitation costs, if you need assistive devices (crutches, walker, wheelchair) and/or physical therapy
non-economic losses: pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, disfigurement, loss of consortium.

On your own, you will probably not be able to negotiate a fair settlement even for all your physical injuries. Insurance adjusters know exactly how to persuade or intimidate you into accepting their settlement. They are not looking out for you, but for the bottom line of the company they are working for.

This is why you shouldn't even talk to the representative of the insurance company on your own. Even if you do not sign a document, whatever you say may be used against you in future negotiations or during a personal injury lawsuit.

What If You Are Hit by an Uninsured or Underinsured Driver?

Florida and Texas both rank high for uninsured drivers, putting responsible motorists at risk. According to the Insurance Information Institute, Florida leads the nation with 26.7% of drivers uninsured, while Texas also has a significant number of uninsured and underinsured motorists on the road.

This means there's a real possibility of being involved in an accident where the at-fault driver has little or no insurance. In these situations, your own Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist (UM/UIM) coverage may be the only protection you have to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and other damages.

If your insurance company delays or denies your claim, an experienced car accident attorney can step in to negotiate with insurers and help you recover the full compensation you're entitled to.

Do's and Don'ts after Being Involved in a Car Accident

In this section, we will give you helpful tips to maximize your chances of getting maximum compensation by avoiding some common mistakes and actions after an accident.

DO: Call 9-1-1 and Ask for an Ambulance and the Police

The first thing you should be concerned with is your health (and that of other people involved in the accident, if any). An emergency response team will assess the extent of your injuries and make the recommendation to take you to hospital if necessary. Follow their advice and let doctors perform all the tests they consider necessary.

At the same time, the police will prepare an accident report, including all the findings they can get at the scene. It will be very useful to you later on, when you hire an accident attorney to negotiate your compensation.

DON'T: Walk Away from the Scene of the Accident

Even if you do not believe you are seriously injured, you should seek medical attention. Internal bleeding and internal organ damage may take hours or day to show symptoms. At the same time, if you delay seeking medical care, your insurance company may deny your PIP claim.

DO: Document the Accident Scene

f you do not make your condition worse by moving, try to take as many photos and videos of your injuries and damages to your car. Talk to witnesses and persuade them to give you a statement of what they saw and make available the photographs they may have taken with their mobile phones.

DON'T: Settle with the Insurance Company on Your Own

You are obliged to notify your insurance company of any traffic accidents you are involved in. Thus, it is not surprising that you will be paid a visit by an insurance adjuster while you are still in hospital. They will take advantage of your vulnerable state and offer you a check and a waiver to sign. Do not sign the waiver and do not accept the check. Most probably, it will not even cover your economic damages, let alone the non-economic damages a personal injury attorney can negotiate for you.

DO: Hire Experienced Accident Lawyers

A skilled personal injury lawyer can help you calculate the amount of economic and non-economic damages you may recover and prepare accident claims and file them on time with the company that issued your insurance policy. If you received a settlement offer, a Fort Lauderdale car accident lawyer can look over it and explain whether it offers adequate compensation, or they can negotiate a larger accident settlement on your behalf

DON'T: Interrupt Your Medical Treatment

You should not think twice about going to all the physical therapy sessions prescribed by your doctor or refilling your prescription. They are for your own good, in order to reach the maximum medical improvement. And you will recover these costs in compensatory damages. However, if you interrupt your treatment, the insurance company will use this as grounds to deny your claim for financial compensation.

How Accident Attorneys Work on Your Behalf

Now, let us explain you the work behind the scenes that personal injury attorneys carry on behalf of their clients. From accident scenes to police reports and medical reports, lawyers look for all the elements and evidence they need to justify the amount of money they request for your bodily injuries and property damages.

For example, a drunk driver can be accused of gross negligence in certain circumstances. This means that you are eligible to receive punitive damages in a personal injury lawsuit, in amount of maximum $500,000. Gross negligence goes beyond basic driver error or driver negligence. Apart from not respecting the duty of care they have towards you, the responsible party committed a "conscious violation of other people's rights to safety", according to the Legal Information Institute.

Collecting Evidence about the Accident

First of all, a car accident lawyer will collect all the data and documents that will support your case. They will contact the law enforcement officers present at the scene of the accident to obtain a copy of their report, as well as their description of the accident scene.

Secondly, the legal team will contact your doctors to find out the extent of your injuries, the estimated recovery time and potential long term impairment you may be left with, leading to reduced enjoyment of life, inability to perform your job.

In preparing a case against the fault driver for serious injuries, a car accident lawyer may also collect other relevant pieces of evidence, such as:

traffic camera footage
cell phone records, demonstrating that the driver was texting or talking while driving
expert witnesses' statements, including economists, medical experts and care planners.

Conducting Negotiations with the Insurance Company

Insurance companies have specially trained employees who know the law and how to interpret it in their favor. As a regular person, you do not have the arguments to counteract them. You may even be persuaded that they are doing you a big favor in settling your claim so quickly. An experienced personal injury litigation attorney will have the arguments that demonstrate the contrary: that you are not getting a fair deal and you deserve more adequate monetary compensation for your damages.

Taking Your Case to Court

In the event that you suffered catastrophic injuries, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the fault driver. This is where you really need professional representation in order to win your case. An experienced car accident lawyer Fort Lauderdale will organize the facts and present supporting evidence, persuading the jury that you deserve compensation for your current expenses and future care needs.

Hire a Law Team that Stands by Your Side

VG Law Group relies on the talents and background experience of a diverse group of lawyers, who have one common goal: to offer you the best legal representation and fight for your cause. We use a modern and aggressive approach in dealing with insurance companies and we are always available for our clients to answer their questions.

You don't have to worry if you afford to hire a personal injury attorney. At VG Law Group we work on a contingency base. This means that we only get paid after we win your case and you receive your settlement amount. So don't delay contacting us for a free case review, because you may run out of time. In Florida, you have 4 years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury claim. In Texas, the statute of limitations is 2 years. No matter where the accident occurred, you don’t want to wait until the last moment—missing the deadline could mean losing your right to compensation entirely. As time passes, witnesses' memories fade, evidence gets lost and it may become very hard to build your case.

Our mission is to get justice done and make sure that you receive fair compensation to cover your expenses, losses, pain and suffering. Any car accident leaves physical and emotional trauma behind. You should be able to heal with peace of mind, instead of worrying about paying hospital bills and long-term treatments. We are the personal injury attorneys who fight for you until we win your case, so call us now: 833-HELP-365