What to Bring to Your Free Personal Injury Consultation in Hialeah

Bring your crash report number or the name and address of where you were hurt, photos of the scene and your injuries, both drivers’ insurance cards if it was a crash, any medical bills or records you have, and every letter or message from an insurance adjuster. If you are missing some of these items, come anyway, the consultation is still useful, and with your written authorization, the firm can request your records directly.

If I can only grab a few things, what matters most?

Take these five things before you leave the house. First, write down the crash report number or, for a slip and fall, the exact name and street address of the business or property. Second, bring screenshots or photos from your phone showing vehicle damage, the hazard on the floor, or your visible injuries. Third, bring your own auto or health insurance card. Fourth, collect any paperwork, voicemail log, or email from an insurance adjuster. Fifth, jot down on paper, even a napkin, the date, time, exact location, and what happened in your own words. You do not need a complete medical file to have a productive meeting. Under Florida law, once you sign a written authorization, the firm can request your medical records directly from providers [Fla. Stat. § 456.057].

I was in a car, truck, motorcycle, or rideshare crash, what specifically do I need?

In Hialeah, the crash report may come from the Hialeah Police Department, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, or Florida Highway Patrol, depending on the road and circumstances. Note which agency responded, that helps us request the report correctly. The report number lets us pull the full document even within the first 60 days, when it is otherwise confidential [Fla. Stat. § 316.066]. Bring this checklist: (a) the crash report number or the exchange-of-information form if police did not respond; (b) both drivers’ insurance cards; (c) your own auto declarations page showing PIP and uninsured motorist limits; (d) photos of vehicle damage from multiple angles and injuries taken within 24 to 48 hours; (e) dashcam footage or bystander video if you have it. Remember, under Florida PIP rules, you must see a doctor within 14 days of the crash or your $10,000 in benefits disappears [Fla. Stat. § 627.736(1)(a)]. For Uber or Lyft crashes, bring the in-app trip receipt and a screenshot showing the driver’s name and whether you were matched, en route, or already dropped off, this decides which insurance company pays.

I slipped and fell at a Hialeah store or property, what do I need to bring?

Under Florida law, when you slip on a spill or other transitory substance in a business, you must prove the business knew or should have known about it and failed to fix it [Fla. Stat. § 768.0755]. That means the exact time of your fall and how long the spill or defect existed matters legally. Bring this: (a) the store name, full street address, and specific location like “aisle 7 near the dairy cooler” or “entrance B”; (b) the precise date and time, check your credit card receipt or phone location history if unsure; (c) any incident report the store gave you; (d) photos of the wet floor, broken tile, or missing warning signs, plus photos of your injuries; (e) the shoes you wore, placed in a bag without cleaning them; (f) names and numbers of witnesses or employees who helped you. Stores often erase surveillance video within 30 days. Once we know the property and time, we send a preservation letter immediately. Every day you wait risks losing the only proof of how long the hazard was there.

What medical records and bills should I bring?

Bring whatever you have so far: ER discharge papers, imaging reports, urgent care notes, therapy records, prescription receipts, and any bills received. If your insurer sent a PIP letter acknowledging or denying coverage, bring that too. You do not need to wait until you gather everything. Florida law gives you the right to your medical records [Fla. Stat. § 456.057], and we handle the rest. At the consultation, we will give you a written authorization to sign. Once signed, we request all records directly from your doctors, hospitals, and clinics. Do not delay the meeting because you are missing records, your verbal description and initial bills are enough to start.

What about lost income and adjuster communications?

For lost wages, bring your two most recent pay stubs before the injury, a list of every missed workday with the reason, and any employer confirmation like an email or note. If you are self-employed, bring your latest tax return. PIP covers 60 percent of lost income up to its limit [Fla. Stat. § 627.736(1)], so pay documentation helps us calculate what you are owed. For adjuster contact, bring every letter, email, settlement offer, recorded-statement request, and any check received. Do not cash or sign any check marked “full and final settlement”, it may end your case permanently. Do not give a recorded statement to any adjuster before talking to a lawyer. Adjusters often use delays between the crash and first treatment to argue your injury came from something else.

What if I’m missing most of this, should I still come?

Yes, come anyway. We can start assessing your case from your verbal account, the date and location, and the photos on your phone. Once you hire us, we will send a preservation letter to secure video evidence, request the crash report using the parties’ names and date, obtain your medical records with your signed authorization, and notify the other side’s insurer that all future contact must go through our office. Florida’s statute of limitations gives you two years from the date of injury for incidents on or after March 24, 2023 [Fla. Stat. § 95.11]. Waiting to “get organized” uses up time the law does not give back. Call Wolfson & Leon for a free consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Can the law firm get my medical records for me, or do I have to do that myself?
You have the legal right to your records under Florida law. We provide a written authorization for you to sign, and then we request all records directly from your doctors and hospitals. You do not need to collect them yourself before the consultation.

Where do I get the crash report number in Hialeah?
The responding agency, usually Hialeah Police, the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, or Florida Highway Patrol, assigns the report number. You can call that agency with your name, the crash date, and location to request it. Even during the first 60 days, when the report is confidential, we can obtain it once you retain us.

An adjuster already sent me a check. Did I ruin my case by accepting it?
It depends on what the check says. If it is marked “full and final settlement” and you cashed it, you may have given up your right to pursue more compensation. Bring the check and any attached release documents to your consultation so we can review the terms.

I slipped and fell yesterday. Is it too late to preserve the surveillance video?
No, it is not too late, but act now. Many stores overwrite footage within 30 days or sooner. With the store name and exact time of your fall, we can send a legal preservation letter immediately asking the store to keep the footage.

My car accident was partly my fault. Can I still recover anything?
Yes, as long as you were not more than 50 percent at fault. Florida uses a modified comparative negligence rule, meaning your recovery is reduced by your share of fault but barred only if you are over 50 percent responsible [Fla. Stat. § 768.81(6)].

Related reading: I was in a car accident in Hialeah. What do I do now? · I fell in a store in Hialeah. Can I make a claim? · I fell in a supermarket in Hialeah. Why the first 30 days decide the case · The other driver’s insurance adjuster wants a recorded statement. Do I have to give one?

Hurt in an accident in Hialeah? Call Wolfson & Leon at (305) 285-7071 for a free consultation. We speak Spanish, and there is no fee unless we win.