Out-of-State Car Accident Lawyer in Florida
Injured in a Florida crash while visiting from another state? The Nunez Law Firm can review the collision, insurance, medical records, and next steps after you return home
What If You Live Outside Florida?
You can usually return home while the claim continues
Visitors generally do not need to remain in Florida simply because the crash happened there. Treatment can continue at home while the claim proceeds
A Florida lawyer can handle the Florida-side issues
This can include liability, local evidence, insurance questions, filing requirements, and litigation connected with the crash
How a Florida Lawyer Can Handle Your Claim
Review the crash
Examine the report, photographs, video, witnesses, vehicle damage, and disputed-fault evidence
Identify insurance
Review PIP, liability, UM/UIM, MedPay, health insurance, out-of-state policies, and rental coverage
Document the losses
Connect treatment with medical bills, lost income, restrictions, and future medical needs
Handle the claim
Address insurer requests, settlement negotiations, liability disputes, and litigation
Before You Return Home
Focus on medical care, insurance notice, and evidence that may be harder to obtain later
Get medical care
Seek appropriate evaluation if needed. Keep discharge instructions, imaging, prescriptions, referrals, and provider details
Remember the PIP 14-day rule
If Florida PIP applies, qualifying initial care generally must begin within 14 days for medical benefits
Save crash details
Keep the report number, investigating agency, crash location, and driver and witness information
Preserve photos and video
Save vehicle damage, the scene, visible injuries, dashcam footage, surveillance, and witness video
Keep insurance and rental records
Preserve policy information, rental documents, protection selections, receipts, damage reports, and correspondence
Notify the appropriate insurer
Follow applicable notice requirements. Save the claim number, adjuster’s contact details, and important correspondence
Does Florida PIP Cover Out-of-State Visitors?
Not automatically. Coverage depends on the vehicle, insured status, residency, policy terms, and applicable law
Your own out-of-state vehicle
A temporary Florida trip does not automatically convert every out-of-state policy into Florida PIP. Section 627.733 separately addresses nonresident-owned vehicles present in Florida for more than 90 days during the preceding 365 days
A Florida-insured vehicle
Florida PIP can cover the named insured, qualifying relatives, operators, passengers, and certain people struck by the insured vehicle, subject to exclusions and priority rules
Passenger or pedestrian
Coverage can depend on insured status, residency, vehicle ownership, and other available PIP benefits. The vehicle’s policy does not determine every benefit
What if the crash involves a rental car?
Keep the rental agreement, protection selections, damage report, final receipt, and rental-company correspondence.
Review the rental company’s coverage, your own policy, purchased protection, and any applicable credit-card rental protection. Credit-card coverage should not be assumed to provide bodily injury liability coverage.
Florida § 627.7263 also addresses priority between lessor and authorized-driver liability and PIP coverage
Why the insurance contract matters
Florida generally applies lex loci contractus to insurance-contract interpretation, which generally looks to the jurisdiction where the contract was executed. That law may differ from the law governing liability for the Florida crash
Florida Statute § 627.736 Florida Statute § 627.733 Florida Statute § 627.7263 State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Roach
After You Leave Florida
What if the insurer asks for records or an authorization?
Ask for important requests in writing and identify the insurer, policy, and coverage involved. Keep copies of everything you send.
Do not automatically sign a broad medical authorization without understanding which providers, dates, and records it covers. At the same time, do not ignore legitimate cooperation or documentation duties.
- Confirm what is being requested;
- Check any stated deadline;
- Review the scope before signing;
- Keep a complete copy of your response.
Sources: Florida Statute § 627.736
Give your providers Florida records, imaging, discharge instructions, and referrals when available. Keep records of treatment, restrictions, bills, and future-care recommendations
Identify the insurer and the policy or statute behind the request. Florida § 627.736 addresses the location and cost of PIP examinations; an out-of-state policy may differ. Florida Statute § 627.736
Ask for the request in writing. When damage or liability is disputed, address a reasonable inspection before repair, sale, salvage, or destruction when practical
Not for every step. Some meetings, communications, and depositions can occur remotely. Certain examinations, hearings, depositions, or trial proceedings can still require an in-person appearance. Florida Rules of Court Procedure
Getting Your Florida Crash Report
Florida crash reports containing protected personal information are generally confidential for 60 days after filing. Parties, legal representatives, insurers, and other authorized recipients can obtain access during that period.
Keep the report number, crash date, county, and investigating agency available
Evidence can disappear long before the lawsuit deadline
Florida Laws That May Affect Your Claim
Disputed liability
Fault can depend on photographs, video, witnesses, vehicle damage, roadway evidence, and driver accounts.
Under § 768.81, damages can be reduced by the injured person’s fault. In applicable negligence actions, a party more than 50% at fault for his or her own harm may not recover damages.
Serious injuries
Serious claims may require evidence of future treatment, permanent restrictions, lost income, and reduced earning capacity.
For claims governed by Florida’s motor-vehicle tort threshold, § 627.737 identifies injury categories relevant to noneconomic damages
Jurisdiction, service, and venue
Florida § 48.193 can provide personal jurisdiction for claims arising from specified Florida contacts, including a tortious act within the state.
Section 48.171 provides a service mechanism for qualifying nonresident motorists in claims arising from Florida collisions.
Venue is separate. Section 47.011 expressly does not apply to actions against nonresidents, so the proper county depends on the parties and facts.
Filing deadline
For negligence claims accruing after March 24, 2023, Florida generally provides a two-year limitations period.
Earlier claims, wrongful death, government claims, and other causes of action can have different deadlines.
What to Prepare for a Florida Lawyer
Evidence can disappear long before the lawsuit deadline.
Florida personal injury representation
Rafael O. Nunez, Jr. is the owner and founder of The Nunez Law Firm, opened in 2016. The Florida Bar lists him as admitted to practice in Florida on January 23, 2015 and as a member in good standing.
Free case assessment. No attorney’s fee unless there is a recovery. Clients may be responsible for case costs under the written representation agreement
Already Back Home?
The Nunez Law Firm can review the crash, insurance, medical records, evidence, and next steps for your Florida claim
Attorney-fee and case-cost terms are governed by the written representation agreement