What to do after a car accident: 7 steps in the first 14 days.

What to do after a car accident in Florida comes down to two clocks: the hours in which hidden injuries declare themselves, and the 14 days in which Personal Injury Protection will still pay for treating them. This checklist follows both.

1. At the scene: safety, then 911

Move out of traffic if you can. Call 911 if anyone is hurt, unconscious, bleeding, or complaining of chest, abdominal or neck pain. Florida law requires a crash report when there is injury, and the officer's report becomes part of your record. Accept transport if the paramedics recommend it. Declining it is your right, but it is also the first fact the adjuster will bring up.

2. Document before you leave

Photograph both vehicles, the plates, the intersection or road (Federal Highway at Sample Road looks different from I-95 at Atlantic Boulevard, and it matters), the weather, and any visible injury. Exchange license, registration and insurance details. Get names and numbers of witnesses. Do not discuss fault with the other driver.

3. The same day: call a doctor who treats crash injuries

Call (754) 342-6479. The line is answered 24/7 and the first question is the date of the crash, because it starts the 14-day window. If you went to the emergency room, that visit counts as initial treatment; you still need follow-up for the musculoskeletal injuries the ER does not treat. If you did not, an examination here the same or next day does both jobs.

4. The first 72 hours: expect it to get worse

Whiplash, low back strain and soft-tissue injuries typically peak two to three days after impact. Stiffness on waking, headaches from the base of the skull, pain between the shoulder blades, and tingling into an arm or leg are normal in that window and are exactly what the examination is looking for. Write down when each symptom started. Ice is generally appropriate in the first 48 hours; heat, stretching and pain medication are decisions for the examination, not the internet.

5. The examination: the record starts here

At this office the examination is done by Dr. Carol McNamara-Krauss, DC: crash history, orthopedic and neurological testing, range-of-motion measurements, palpation and, when the findings call for it, an X-ray or MRI referral. Treatment starts the same visit. Everything is documented that day in a case documentation system built with personal injury attorneys. The car accident doctor page walks through the visit.

6. Know the emergency medical condition rule

Without an emergency medical condition determination, PIP medical benefits stop at $2,500 instead of $10,000. Only an MD, DO, PA or APRN can make that determination. This office does not; it refers you to one when the exam warrants it. Understanding that before the adjuster calls is worth a great deal. The Florida PIP 14-day rule page has the full explanation.

7. Decide about an attorney, and tell the coordinator

Whether to retain a personal injury attorney is your decision and not medical advice. What the office can do is coordinate with whichever firm you choose from day one. Janelle Deal, the attorney-patient case coordinator, has 30 years of experience in Florida PIP claims; tell her at the first call if you have counsel or want a referral, and she will handle records and updates with that office.

What not to do

• Do not wait to see if it gets better. The 14-day clock does not pause.
• Do not tell anyone, including the adjuster, that you are fine before you have been examined.
• Do not skip appointments once treatment starts. Gaps in care are the second thing an adjuster looks for.
• Do not sign anything from the other driver's carrier without your attorney.