Florida · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Homestead?

A left turn off US 1 into the shopping plazas on Campbell Drive, a pileup where the Turnpike extension ends and dumps everyone onto South Dixie Highway, a farm truck on Krome Avenue at dusk. If you were just in a crash in Homestead and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Homestead-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. Baptist Health Homestead Hospital, just off Campbell Drive near the Turnpike, has a 24-hour emergency room. The nearest trauma center is the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson South Medical Center, a Level II center up US 1 near Palmetto Bay. 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 Homestead

Inside city limits, the Homestead Police Department responds to crashes. On the Turnpike extension it is usually the Florida Highway Patrol, and in the unincorporated areas around the city, such as Leisure City, Naranja and the farmland along Krome Avenue, it is the Miami-Dade Sheriff's Office. The city line is not obvious on the ground, so 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 Homestead crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: US 1 (South Dixie Highway) through the city, Campbell Drive (SW 312th Street) from Krome Avenue to the Turnpike, the Turnpike extension and its ramps at Campbell Drive, Krome Avenue (State Road 997) north of town, and Palm Drive (SW 344th Street). Krome Avenue is a two-lane road known for head-on crashes, and the Turnpike ramps and the big signalized intersections on US 1 are where the rear-end and left-turn crashes pile up. Photos of the intersection, the signals and the lane markings matter, because many of these crashes 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.