If you were just in a crash on Capital Circle or Thomasville Road, the decisions you make early about medical care, insurance contact, and legal counsel can have a direct effect on your ability to recover compensation. Having helped injury victims throughout Tallahassee for over 25 years, our team at Milles Law has seen the importance of making the right decisions at the right time.
Here's what to do, and why each step matters.
Why Crashes on These Roads Are So Common
Both roads have characteristics that make them consistently dangerous for drivers and passengers:
- Capital Circle runs as CR-263 and CR-267 and forms a partial loop around Tallahassee, carrying a heavy mix of commuter traffic, commercial vehicles, and through-traffic at highway-level speeds. Its interchange areas, frequent lane changes, and high-speed merges create consistent conditions for rear-end crashes, sideswipe collisions, and accidents involving commercial trucks.
- Thomasville Road runs north-south through some of the most commercially dense areas of the city. From Midtown northward, the road is lined with driveways, signalized intersections, and turn lanes, exactly the conditions that produce left-turn failures, failure-to-yield accidents, and rear-end impacts during peak commute hours.
Both roads rank among the highest-volume corridors in Leon County, and see many car and truck accidents as a result.
Get Medical Treatment Right Away
Even if you feel fine or your injuries seem minor, get evaluated by a medical provider as soon as possible, and no later than 14 days after the crash.
That 14-day window is a hard deadline under Florida law. If you wait beyond it, you forfeit your right to access your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) benefits entirely. Beyond the legal requirement, early treatment also creates a medical record that connects your injuries to the crash. Gaps in treatment or delays in seeking care give insurance companies room to argue that your injuries were not serious, not related to the accident, or not as significant as you claim.
If you notice pain, stiffness, headaches, or other symptoms in the days following a crash, do not wait to see if they improve on their own. Get documented.
Understand Your PIP Coverage
Florida is a no-fault state, which means your own insurance policy, not the at-fault driver's, is the first source of coverage after most crashes, regardless of who caused the accident.
Personal Injury Protection covers 80% of your reasonable medical expenses and 60% of your lost wages, up to a policy limit of $10,000. A few things are important to understand about how PIP actually works:
- If a treating provider determines your injuries do not constitute a medical emergency, your available PIP coverage drops to $2,500.
- PIP does not compensate for pain and suffering.
- The $10,000 limit is frequently exhausted after a serious crash, often well before all medical treatment is complete.
PIP is designed to get injured drivers basic coverage quickly. It is not designed to make a seriously injured person whole.
Know When You May Be Able to Pursue a Claim Outside the PIP System
Florida limits lawsuits after car accidents but does not eliminate them. If your injuries meet what the law calls the "serious injury threshold" under Florida Statutes § 627.737, you have the right to file a claim directly against the driver who caused the crash. That threshold is met when a crash results in:
- Significant and permanent loss of an important bodily function
- A permanent injury within a reasonable degree of medical probability
- Significant and permanent scarring or disfigurement
- Death
When that bar is cleared, recoverable compensation can include the full cost of past and future medical treatment, lost income and reduced earning capacity, pain and suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life.
One additional point worth knowing: Florida adopted a modified comparative fault rule in 2023. You can still recover compensation if you were partially at fault, as long as your share does not exceed 50%. If you are found 30% responsible, your recovery is reduced by 30%. Insurance companies are well aware of this rule and often work to push fault percentages in their favor, which is one reason how fault gets established matters.
What the Claims Process Generally Looks Like
After a crash on Capital Circle or Thomasville Road, the general sequence tends to look like this:
- Report and document. A police report should be filed. Photograph the scene, vehicle damage, and any visible injuries. Gather contact and insurance information from everyone involved.
- Notify your own insurer. Your PIP claim goes through your own policy. Report the crash promptly, as most policies require notification within a reasonable time.
- Continue medical treatment. Consistent, documented treatment is essential. Following your provider's recommendations and keeping all appointments matters both for your recovery and for the integrity of your claim.
- Understand what the at-fault driver's insurer may offer. Once liability is reasonably clear, the other driver's insurance company may contact you. Early offers are typically low. You are not obligated to accept them, and you are not required to give a recorded statement.
- Know your deadline. Florida's statute of limitations for personal injury claims is two years from the date of the crash under § 95.11(4)(a). Two years passes faster than people expect, and waiting creates real evidentiary problems.
Talk to a Lawyer Before You Talk to the Insurance Company
The other driver's insurance adjuster is not working in your interest. Early recorded statements are used to minimize claims. Initial settlement offers rarely reflect the actual value of what an injured person is owed, particularly when the full extent of injuries is not yet known. Once you accept a settlement and sign a release, you typically cannot go back.
Speaking with a personal injury attorney before making any statements or signing anything costs you nothing and preserves your options. An attorney can evaluate whether your injuries meet the serious injury threshold, assess the available insurance coverage, and advise you on the actual value of your claim before you agree to anything.
If you were hurt in a crash on Capital Circle, Thomasville Road, or anywhere in the Tallahassee area, Milles Law is ready to help. Our firm has successfully handled thousands of personal injury and car accident cases, and is available to discus how we can help you. Call (855) 553-3310 or contact us online for a FREE consultation. No obligation, and no fee unless we recover for you.