Florida · Injured in a crash

Injured in a Car Accident in Sebring?

A rear-end in the line of traffic on US 27 at Sebring Parkway, a left turn across four lanes at Lakeview Drive, a crash on State Road 17 between Sebring and Avon Park. If you were just in a crash in Sebring or Avon Park and you are trying to figure out what to do next, this page is the short version, with the Highlands County 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. Sebring has two hospitals with 24-hour emergency rooms: AdventHealth Sebring on Sun 'n Lake Boulevard and HCA Florida Highlands Hospital on South Highlands Avenue. Avon Park has no hospital of its own, so AdventHealth Sebring is the closest ER. Highlands County has no trauma center, so the most serious injuries are flown out, usually to Lakeland Regional Health Medical Center or Tampa General Hospital, both 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 Sebring

Inside Sebring city limits, the Sebring Police Department responds to crashes. Avon Park no longer has its own police department. Since 2021 the city has contracted with the Highlands County Sheriff's Office, which polices Avon Park from its North District office on West Pleasant Street. The Sheriff's Office also covers everything outside the city limits, including Sun 'n Lake and Lake Placid. On US 27, US 98 and State Road 66 the Florida Highway Patrol often writes the report instead. 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 Sebring crashes happen

The stretches that come up most: US 27, the four-lane highway that runs the length of the county through Avon Park, Sebring and Lake Placid, with its busy intersections at Sebring Parkway, Lakeview Drive, Doc Sherwood Boulevard and Lake Josephine Road, Sebring Parkway itself, State Road 17 (Lakeview Drive and Main Street) between Sebring and Avon Park, US 98 and State Road 66 heading east toward the lake, and Highlands Avenue. US 27 is the main road for everyone, from cane and citrus trucks to retirees and race fans, and most serious crashes are left turns across the median, rear-ends at the lights, and speed on the long straight stretches. Photos of the intersection, the signals and the median openings matter, because many of these crashes turn into arguments about who turned in front of whom.

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.