If you’re in a car crash in Florida, chances are you’ll need a crash report. But what is a Florida crash report, and why is it so important? Our team explains the answers to these questions and more below.
What Is a Crash Report?
Your crash report is a record of how an auto accident occurred. It describes who most likely caused the crash, and any damage they caused.
A crash report is a legal document. It can be used as evidence in compensation and insurance claims. As such, it’s important that it’s accurate.
Always check your report for inaccuracies. Otherwise, your report could damage your claim!
Contents of a Florida Crash Report
Crash reports are all unique, but they are structured in a similar way. Every crash report in Florida contains information such as:
- Accident date, time, and location
- Driver(s) personal information and insurance details
- Vehicle details
- Passenger details (if present)
- Contributing hazards e.g. icy roads, poor lighting
- Officer’s narrative of events
- Witness details (if present)
- Citations issued at the scene e.g. traffic violations, DUIs
- Injuries and/or fatalities
- Property damage
Every report has clear sections which make it easy to follow and read.
Do You Need a Crash Report?
Florida state law requires you to report certain traffic accidents. You must report a crash and obtain a police report if:
- The traffic accident caused any injuries, even very minor ones
- There is property damage worth $500 or more
You must also report a hit-and-run, fatality, or intoxicated driver.
Traffic reports must be submitted to the Florida DMV within 10 days of the crash if:
- There are any injuries, no matter how minor
- Any vehicle is rendered inoperable or severely damaged
- There is a commercial vehicle involved
If you’re unsure whether you need a report, err on the side of caution. Contact law enforcement. They’ll either attend the scene or explain what to do.
Benefits of Obtaining a Crash Report in Florida
In many cases, you’ll find that you do need a traffic crash report in Florida. However, even if you don’t “need” a report, here are the main reasons why you should obtain a copy.
1. Prove Liability
Sometimes, accidents simply happen. But most often, car accidents happen due to at least one driver’s carelessness.
An accident report can help you prove who caused the crash and resulting damage. It’s not definitive, meaning it can be challenged, but it’s highly useful. The information provided by the police helps insurance companies determine liability and make settlement offers.
2. Claim Valuation
Some accidents, like fender benders, may not cause any injuries. They may not even cause much property damage.
Other accidents, however, lead to civil compensation claims. If you’re injured due to someone else’s negligence, for example, you might make a personal injury claim.
Your FL crash report can be used as evidence to support your injuries. It’s especially helpful when read alongside other evidence, such as medical records or a doctor’s report. We can connect you with a medical expert or personal injury attorney, should you need one.
3. Faster Claims Resolution
Insurance companies can take a significant amount of time to resolve crash claims. But the more information you can provide, the quicker they can settle the case. Therefore, it’s in your best interest to provide a copy of your Florida crash report as soon as possible.
Most insurance companies will accept crash reports online, but you can also send a crash report by mail.
4. Personal Records
Of course, you want to move on from the crash and what happened. It’s understandable if you’d rather put the whole matter behind you. But it’s good to have a crash report for your own personal record-keeping purposes.
Keep your report alongside your other key auto documents for safekeeping.
5. Legal Compliance
It’s worth re-emphasizing just how important it is to understand your reporting obligations. If you don’t obtain a report when you need one, Florida statutes mean you could face tough penalties. Penalties you might face include:
- Civil penalties i.e. monetary fine for a non-criminal traffic violation
- Criminal penalties e.g. hit-and-run for leaving the scene of a crash
- License penalties e.g. the DMV may suspend or revoke your license
We recommend calling law enforcement officers immediately after a crash for advice. Don’t take risks when it comes to legal compliance.
How to Obtain a Crash Report in Florida
There are various ways you can find a crash report in Florida.
- If you have a personal injury attorney, they can locate the report for you. However, you first need to hire an attorney, which takes time.
- You can reach out to the law enforcement agency that attended the scene. This requires knowing which department to contact. Again, it’s a time-consuming – and confusing – process.
- Let Auto Accident Records search for your report. We know exactly where to look, and we’ll find your report quickly and efficiently.
Crash records are not always easy to find, but we make the process simple.
Get Your Florida Crash Report from Auto Accident Report
Do you need a copy of your auto crash report in Florida? Get crash reports online with help from Auto Accident Report.
We take the stress out of locating accident reports. Once you complete our brief form, we’ll find your report and notify you of its location. Our service is free and there’s no obligation to use the attorneys or doctors we might recommend. All you need to do is wait for your email confirming where your accident report is!
Get started on your insurance or personal injury claim sooner rather than later. Let Auto Accident Report find your traffic crash report with ease. Get started now!