At the scene
First hour
- Move to safety if the vehicles are in a travel lane and you are able.
- Call 911. Report injuries and that a commercial vehicle is involved.
- Accept medical evaluation, even if you feel functional.
- Photograph the tractor and trailer separately — they often belong to different companies.
- Photograph the DOT number on the cab door.
- Photograph final vehicle positions from several angles, far enough back to show lane markings.
- Photograph damage on both vehicles, especially the height at which contact occurred.
- Photograph skid, yaw, and scrub marks, and any gouges in the pavement or shoulder.
- Photograph the trailer’s rear guard, conspicuity tape, and lights.
- Photograph spilled cargo and debris before it is cleared.
- Photograph road and weather conditions, standing water, and any advisory speed signs.
- Note the mile marker and direction of travel.
- Collect witness names and phone numbers — highway witnesses leave within minutes.
- Get the crash report number from the responding officer.
Do not say you are fine, and do not guess at speeds or distances you did not measure.
Within 24 hours
Day one
- Get medical care if you have not already. Florida PIP requires treatment within 14 days.
- Report every symptom, including headaches, memory trouble, sleep changes, and mood changes.
- Photograph your injuries again as bruising develops.
- Write down everything you remember while it is fresh.
- Notify your own insurer and begin the PIP claim.
Within 7 days
First week
- Get legal advice so a preservation demand reaches the carrier.
- Decline any recorded statement request from the trucking company’s insurer.
- Do not sign a blanket medical authorization.
- Identify nearby cameras — businesses, traffic signals, buildings.
- Request your crash report (confidential for 60 days to involved parties).
Camera footage and engine data are held by the trucking company and are overwritten on cycles measured in days and weeks. This is the deadline that is not written in any statute.
Within 14 days
The PIP deadline
- Confirm initial medical treatment has begun. Miss this and $10,000 in benefits is generally lost.
- Keep every appointment. Gaps in treatment are read as recovery.
- Start a symptom journal: pain, sleep, concentration, and tasks you can no longer do.
Within 30 days
First month
- Obtain the crash report and check it for errors.
- Gather pre-crash medical records establishing your baseline.
- Document lost income with employment records rather than estimates.
- Keep every bill, receipt, and mileage record.
- Stay off social media regarding the crash, your injuries, and your activities.
Details to record
Keep with this sheet
- Crash date and time:
- Location / mile marker:
- Crash report number:
- Investigating agency:
- Trucking company name:
- DOT number:
- Trailer number:
- Driver name:
- Witness name and phone:
- Treating provider:
This checklist is general information, not legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines depend on your specific facts — confirm them with an attorney. Free case line: (855) 368-3363.