Do I need a lawyer after a car accident in Florida?

By Dr. Jeremiah Carlson, chiropractic physician · Jacksonville, FL · Reviewed Nov 2026

Short answer: Not always. Florida doesn’t require you to hire a lawyer to use your PIP benefits or to get medical care. Many people with minor injuries handle PIP on their own. Talking with a licensed Florida attorney can make sense if you were seriously hurt, fault is disputed, your claim is denied, or the other driver’s insurer wants a recorded statement. This page is general information, not legal advice.

When people often talk to an attorney

Injuries that are significant, last more than a few weeks, or keep you out of work
Fault is disputed, or more than one vehicle or a commercial vehicle was involved
An insurer denies or cuts off benefits, or asks for a recorded or sworn statement
The at-fault driver is uninsured or underinsured

Deadlines matter

For most negligence claims from crashes after March 24, 2023, Florida’s general deadline to file a lawsuit is two years (s. 95.11, Fla. Stat., as amended by ch. 2023-15). Florida also uses modified comparative negligence, so someone found more than 50% at fault generally can’t recover damages from the other driver (s. 768.81). A licensed attorney can tell you how these apply to you.

How we work with you either way

We bill PIP directly and work with many health insurance plans.
If you already have an attorney, we’ll coordinate records with their office. If you don’t, that’s fine too. Our focus is your care.
We don’t refer patients to lawyers in exchange for anything, and we don’t accept referrals in exchange for payment.

Watch out for solicitation

If someone calls, texts, or shows up uninvited after your crash to steer you to a particular clinic or law firm, be careful. Florida law treats some of this as illegal solicitation and asks people to report it to the Department of Financial Services (s. 627.736(14)).