Injured in an Auto Accident While Visiting Tampa?
Being involved in an auto accident in any city is stressful, but when you are on a vacation in Tampa and experience an auto accident, you might not know where to turn for help or what your rights are. In this brief article, a car accident attorney in Tampa from our team at Inkelaar Law shares a few of the key factors to consider if you’ve been injured in a car accident while visiting Tampa from out of town.
Auto Accident in Your Personal Vehicle While Visiting Tampa
If you’ve been in an accident in Tampa while driving your own vehicle, there are a few important things to remember:
- Regardless of fault, you should request a police report. Always write down the name of the police department, and, if in Tampa, note whether you spoke with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office or Tampa Police Department. This will help you not only with filing the report but getting a copy later on. The report will contain information for the other parties involved as well as who was determined to be at fault.
- If your vehicle was non-drivable after the accident, write down the name of the company towing the car so that you can prevent a lengthy search later. Remember that wherever the tow truck driver takes the vehicle may not be the best place to complete the repairs, and you should speak with your attorney prior to authorizing any repairs.
- Get checked out by a hospital or urgent care center if you feel any pain or are concerned that pain may set in later. Usually, once the adrenaline wears off from the accident you’ll be faced with at least a few aches and pains, so when possible it can be helpful to be seen to prevent further injury.
Navigating where to get a rental vehicle and who is responsible for repairs can be demanding and exhausting. When you contact a personal injury attorney after a car accident in Tampa, you’ll have local insights into everything from where to seek medical treatment in the area to how to get a rental car or deal with repairs before you are scheduled to go back to your home city.
Auto Accident in a Rental Vehicle While Visiting Tampa
If you find yourself in an auto accident while driving a rental vehicle in Tampa, the same steps listed above will apply in regard to contacting the police and seeking medical assistance. However, when it comes to what to do about the vehicle there are a few additional steps you may need to take, including:
- Contacting the rental company who owns the vehicle to file a claim on their insurance policy. You may need to share the other driver’s information with the rental company as well.
- Arranging for a new rental vehicle through the same rental company.
- Contact your own insurance company. This may seem strange, especially if you have insurance through the rental company as well, but since Florida is a “no-fault” state in regard to personal injuries, you may need your insurance company to help you cover some of the bills while waiting for the compensation you deserve from the other party.
Find the Right Attorney to Help
Finding an attorney who can work on cases locally to the area of your accident, but who still have a national reach and resources, can be the single most important thing you can do. Your attorney can help you understand what steps to take and where to turn for help. If you have been injured in an accident and are interested in filing a personal injury case, contact Inkelaar Law in Tampa today.
If you’ve been involved in an auto accident, please give us a call for free consultation at (813) 722-0622, or submit our consultation request form.