Florida · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Bradenton?

A rear-end on US 41 at Cortez Road, a sideswipe on the Green Bridge into Palmetto, a left turn across Manatee Avenue at 75th Street West. If you were just in a crash in Bradenton or Palmetto and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Manatee County-specific details, and links to the full guides.

It costs nothing to find out

If you are reading this and thinking you cannot afford a lawyer, read this part first. Personal injury lawyers do not charge you to talk, do not charge by the hour, and do not charge anything unless they recover money for you. The fee comes out of the recovery at the end, never out of your pocket. The first conversation is free. Call Clyne is free too: we ask you a few questions and connect you with a licensed Florida attorney who looks at your case at no cost. Nobody will ask you for money. Read How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost.

First, the two things that matter most in Florida

See a doctor within 14 days. Florida is a no-fault state, and your own policy's Personal Injury Protection pays your first medical bills no matter who caused the crash, but only if you get treatment within 14 days. Manatee Memorial Hospital on 2nd Street East in downtown Bradenton, just across the river from Palmetto, has a 24-hour emergency room. HCA Florida Blake Hospital on 59th Street West is the Level II trauma center for Manatee County, so most serious crashes in Bradenton and Palmetto end up there. Urgent care or your own doctor counts too. Read the 14-day rule guide.

Do not give the other driver's insurer a recorded statement. They will call fast and sound friendly. You are not required to talk to them. Read what to say when they call.

Getting your crash report in Bradenton and Palmetto

Inside Bradenton city limits, the Bradenton Police Department responds to crashes, and its headquarters at 100 10th Street West handles records. Inside Palmetto, it is the Palmetto Police Department, with its records section at 820 10th Avenue West. On I-75, I-275 and the Sunshine Skyway approach it is usually the Florida Highway Patrol, and in the unincorporated parts of the county, including much of the area along Cortez Road, State Road 70 and US 301 outside the two cities, it is the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. Ask the officer, deputy or trooper at the scene which agency wrote the report and get the report number.

Florida crash reports are available online through the state's Florida Crash Portal, usually within about ten days, and from the responding agency's records unit. For the first 60 days the report is only available to the people involved, their insurers and their lawyers, so have your license and the report number ready.

Roads where Bradenton and Palmetto crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: US 41 (Tamiami Trail, 14th Street West) from Cortez Road north through downtown and across the Green Bridge into Palmetto, Cortez Road (State Road 684), Manatee Avenue (State Road 64) from downtown west toward the beaches, State Road 70 (53rd Avenue), US 301 through Palmetto and Ellenton, and I-75 at the State Road 64 and US 301 interchanges. US 41 at Cortez Road and Manatee Avenue at 75th Street West are the intersections that come up again and again. US 41 and Cortez are wide, fast and full of driveways, bus stops and people crossing on foot, and many crashes here are rear-ends at the lights, left turns across traffic, motorcycles and scooters, and drivers who left the scene. Photos of the intersection, the signals and the lane markings matter, because these crashes often turn into arguments about who had the light or who changed lanes.

What to do in the first 48 hours

• Call 911 and get a report, even for a "small" crash.
• Photograph both cars, both licenses, both insurance cards, and the scene.
• See a doctor within 14 days. Sooner is better.
• Report the crash to your own insurer. Facts only.
• Do not accept a quick check or sign anything from the other driver's insurer.
• Keep every bill, receipt and visit summary.

The full step-by-step list is in What to Do After a Car Accident in Florida.

Know the Florida clock

For most car accident injury claims in Florida you have two years from the date of the crash to file a lawsuit, and if you are found more than half at fault you recover nothing. Both changed in 2023. Details in How Long Do You Have to File in Florida.

When to talk to a lawyer

Not every fender bender needs one. Talk to a lawyer when you were injured and are still treating after a week or two, when the other driver was uninsured or fled, when fault is being disputed, or when you missed work. Florida personal injury lawyers work on contingency, which means no fee unless they recover money for you, and the first conversation is free. More in Do I Need a Lawyer If It Wasn't My Fault and How Much Does a Car Accident Lawyer Cost.

More Florida towns and the full set of guides: Car accidents in Florida.

Call Clyne is a lawyer referral service, not a law firm. Stephen Clyne is not an attorney. This article is general information, not legal advice, and laws change. Talk to a licensed Florida attorney about your situation.