Florida · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Greenacres?

A rear-end on Lake Worth Road at Jog Road in the evening rush, a left turn across Forest Hill Boulevard by Okeeheelee Park, a crash on Military Trail on the way to work. If you were just in a crash in Greenacres and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Greenacres-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. Greenacres has no hospital inside the city. The closest 24-hour emergency room is HCA Florida JFK Hospital on South Congress Avenue in Atlantis, just east of town, and HCA Florida Palms West Hospital covers the west side. St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach and Delray Medical Center are the county's Level I trauma centers. 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 Greenacres

Greenacres no longer has its own police department. Since 2016 the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has policed the city through its District 16 station on South Jog Road, and its deputies respond to most crashes in town. On Florida's Turnpike it is usually the Florida Highway Patrol. Ask the 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 Greenacres crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: Lake Worth Road (State Road 802) from the Turnpike to Military Trail, Forest Hill Boulevard (State Road 882) from Okeeheelee Park through Jog Road, Jog Road itself, Military Trail (State Road 809), 10th Avenue North, Haverhill Road, and the Turnpike ramps at Lake Worth Road. These are wide, busy suburban roads with a lot of shopping plaza driveways and signals close together, and many crashes here turn into arguments about who had the light, who was turning, or who changed lanes. Photos of the intersection, the signals and the lane markings matter a great deal.

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.