Where Can I Get a Copy of My Florida Car Accident Report?
Under Florida law, anyone who is involved in a car accident that results in injury, $500 worth of vehicle damage, or a death must inform law enforcement of that accident. Eventually, the responding officer will prepare an official accident report after arriving at and assessing the scene. These documents contain a lot of important information that can play a critical role in helping accident victims obtain compensation from the person who caused their crash.
What Information is Included in an Accident Report?
When an accident has been reported to the local police, the county sheriff, or the state highway patrol, the responding officer will send another officer to:
- Secure the scene of the crash;
- Conduct a preliminary investigation of the accident; and
- Compile an accident report.
These are all important tasks, but the last has some of the most important repercussions for an accident victim’s eventual legal claim, as this report will contain a lot of crucial information, including:
- The exact date and time of the crash;
- The precise location of the accident;
- The names and addresses of the occupants of the vehicles involved in the crash;
- Descriptions of the vehicles involved in the crash, including their make, model, color, and license plate numbers;
- The names and contact information of any eyewitnesses who saw the accident occur;
- The officer’s preliminary findings on the cause of the crash;
- The names of each party’s insurer; and
- Identifying information about the officer who responded to the accident scene.
These details could play a critical role in helping accident victims get in contact with at-fault parties and their insurers and initiate the claim filing process. The responding officer’s account of the crash can also provide an unbiased view on the cause of the crash, while the evidence is still fresh and in place. All of these factors make accident reports a good starting point for an attorney looking to begin an independent investigation of the cause of a collision.
Requesting a Copy of Your Accident Report
There are certain steps that accident victims should take when trying to obtain a copy of their accident report, including:
- Waiting at least ten days for the report to be finished and processed;
- Logging in to the Florida Crash Portal to request an online report, or doing so in person at the Florida Highway Patrol station closest to the site of the accident;
- Providing any information needed to obtain the report, including details about the date and location of the accident and the case number assigned; and
- Paying the necessary fees.
Once someone has received this report, he or she should review it carefully to make sure the information is accurate. If any errors are found, law enforcement should be notified immediately. It’s important to note that accident reports, although technically considered public records in Florida, won’t be released to the public for the first two months after a crash. During this time, only the drivers, their insurance companies or legal representatives, and law enforcement agencies can be given a copy.
Protect Your Rights to Compensation
To learn more about the kinds of evidence you’ll need to file a successful car accident claim, please call 954-566-9919 and set up a meeting with the experienced Fort Lauderdale auto accident attorneys at Boone & Davis today.
Sources:
flsenate.gov/Laws/Statutes/2020/316.065
services.flhsmv.gov/CrashReportPurchasing/
