Florida · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Davie?

A rear-end on University Drive at Griffin Road in the evening rush, a T-bone at Davie Road and State Road 84, a chain reaction on I-595 at the University Drive ramps. If you were just in a crash in Davie and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Davie-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. Davie has a full hospital in town: HCA Florida University Hospital at 3476 South University Drive, near Nova Southeastern University, with a 24-hour emergency room. The most serious crashes are taken by ambulance to one of Broward County's two Level I trauma centers, Memorial Regional Hospital at 3501 Johnson Street in Hollywood, which covers south Broward, or Broward Health Medical Center in Fort Lauderdale. 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 Davie

Inside town limits, the Davie Police Department responds to crashes. Its Records Division is at police headquarters, 1230 South Nob Hill Road, on the west side of town, and the department says it is open Monday through Thursday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For the first 60 days you will need a photo ID and will be asked to complete a short traffic crash affidavit confirming you were involved, and the department suggests calling the Records Division first to confirm the report is ready. On I-595, I-75 and Florida's Turnpike it is usually the Florida Highway Patrol, and in the unincorporated areas around the town it may be the Broward Sheriff's Office. Ask the officer 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 Davie crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: University Drive from State Road 84 south past the hospital and the college campuses to Griffin Road, where the traffic from Nova Southeastern, Broward College and the shopping centers all feeds the same lights, Griffin Road from Davie Road west to Flamingo Road and I-75, a long stretch of wide, fast road with left turns into neighborhoods and plazas, State Road 84 along the north edge of town, which runs beside I-595 and carries the traffic that gets off the interstate, Davie Road through the old downtown and the rodeo grounds, where the streets are narrower and there are horse trailers, pedestrians and cyclists, and I-595 itself. The I-595 interchanges at University Drive, Davie Road and Pine Island Road back up every weekday morning and afternoon, and the merge from Florida's Turnpike and I-75 adds to it. Davie also has more than its share of large pickup trucks and trailers because of the equestrian and agricultural areas, and crashes with those vehicles tend to be more serious. On the main roads the crashes are rear-ends at the lights, left turns across three lanes of traffic, and drivers changing lanes to get around a turning car. 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.