How To Obtain an Accident Report in Gainesville, Florida
Florida state law requires that you take several actions following a car accident in Gainesville, FL. You must stop at the scene, exchange information, and — for most traffic collisions — report what has happened to the police.
After the responding officers investigate the incident, they will produce an accident report that summarizes the results of their investigation. Though it will not necessarily assign fault for the crash, it will provide useful information to your lawyer as they prepare your injury claim.
If you’ve been injured in a car crash in Gainesville, contact Allen Law Firm, P.A at (877) 255-3652 for trusted legal help. We offer a completely free consultation where we can learn about your case and provide you with some initial legal advice. Call today to get started.
How Allen Law Firm, P.A. Can Help You Recover Compensation After an Auto Accident in Gainesville, FL
Winning or settling a car accident claim in Gainesville, Florida, requires experience, knowledge, and skill. Thankfully, for over 16 years, Allen Law Firm, P.A. has represented accident victims against those who have caused their injuries. Throughout that time, our car accident lawyers have earned a reputation for their compassionate representation and fierce advocacy for client rights.
With over 100 years of combined experience and hundreds of millions of dollars collected for our clients to date, you can rest assured that our Gainesville car accident lawyers can get you results. We can help with your case by:
- Investigating your car accident
- Evaluating all of your damages
- Demanding and negotiating for fair compensation on your behalf
- Taking care of all the necessary paperwork and communications
- Working with leading experts as needed to strengthen your case
- Filing a lawsuit against the driver who caused your car accident if necessary
Contact our law office in Gainesville today to learn more about our legal services. There are no risks involved in your free initial consultation.
How Many Accident Reports Are Written in Florida?
Florida law requires drivers to report all crashes involving death, any injuries, or property damage exceeding $500 in value. Hundreds of thousands of crashes meet these low thresholds each year; in particular, since even minor repairs cost at least $500, you can assume most of these accidents were reported to the police.
In 2021 alone, for instance, Florida saw a total of 401,540 traffic crashes, comprised of the following:
- 3,454 fatal car accidents
- 163,956 non-fatal injury accidents
- 234,130 accidents that only caused property damage
There are over 1,000 car accidents across the Sunshine State on a daily basis, on average, according to these statistics.
Obtaining a Crash Report in Florida
Though police officers throughout Florida have ten days to complete a crash report, most complete them at the scene of the accident. If a crash requires additional information, however, such as a blood-alcohol test, then the crash report may take a few more days to finalize.
Before leaving the accident scene, the responding officer will usually explain the process of how to obtain an accident report in Gainesville, Florida. The exact procedure may vary depending on the police agency that responded to your crash. In general, the State of Florida operates a Crash Report Portal in which all police agencies must use the same form to prepare crash reports. After completion, the reports get uploaded to a central database.
As such, you can access your crash report from the Gainesville Police Department from the site, but the department also allows you to purchase the report directly. They will either mail the report to you or hold it so you can pick it up.
If your accident was investigated by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office or the Florida Highway Patrol, however, you must purchase your report through the Crash Report Portal.
Contents of a Crash Report
Florida’s no-fault system means you must first seek injury benefits under your auto insurance policy’s personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. PIP benefits pay 80% of your medical bills and 60% of your lost income, up to $10,000.
The no-fault system has two important exceptions. First, if your losses exceed $10,000, you can pursue a claim for the difference. Second, you can pursue a personal injury claim against the at-fault driver for significant, permanent injuries, such as scarring or amputations.
Under Florida’s system, crash reports are used by your insurance company to process your claim for PIP benefits. Since you receive PIP benefits regardless of fault, though, your insurer reviews the report simply to determine that your crash happened and caused your injuries.
In a claim against the at-fault driver, your accident report will be used for many purposes. For one, it contains the contact and insurance information of all the involved parties, which you will use to seek compensation from the at-fault party’s liability insurer.
The report also contains a list of witnesses to the crash who may be able to provide testimony to help your lawyer build a case for negligence against the other driver.
Lastly, you will also use the report to identify additional evidence against the other driver. For example, the report will list the citations issued by the responding officers, which your lawyer can use to prove negligence against the at-fault driver.
Schedule a Free Consultation With Our Gainesville Car Accident Lawyers
A crash report can provide valuable information for your injury claim. Contact Allen Law Firm at (877) 255-3652 for a free consultation to discuss your crash and how our experienced Gainesville car accident lawyers can use a crash report to build an injury case.
