Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law | October 22, 2024 | Personal Injury
If you are involved in a car accident in Florida, you will likely need to file an accident report. Florida Motor Vehicles Code §316.065 requires a driver to report an accident to the police if someone is injured or dies or there is $500 or more in property damage. The driver must report the accident to law enforcement as soon as possible.
In most cases, law enforcement officers must submit a long-form accident report. The agency responsible for investigating your accident depends on where the accident occurred. For example, if your accident occurred in the city limits of Orlando, the Orlando Police Department will likely be the agency that files the crash report. County or state police officers may investigate the accident if the accident occurs within their jurisdiction.
Who Maintains Crash Reports in Florida?
You could contact the law enforcement agency investigating the crash to obtain a copy of the accident report. In some states, contacting the law enforcement agency that filed the report is the only way to obtain a copy of a crash report.
However, Florida maintains copies of most crash reports in a centralized database referred to as the Florida Crash Portal. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV) maintains the portal and combines accident reports from law enforcement agencies throughout the state.
How Do I Look Up an Accident Report in Florida?
The Florida Crash Portal is online through the FLHSMV. You can “buy a crash report” by clicking on the link. Accident reports could take up to ten days to become available on the crash portal. The fee for an accident report is $12, which includes a $2 convenience fee. The report is available to download immediately through the portal but must be downloaded within 24 hours.
You can also request a copy of a Florida crash report in person or by mail. If you want to obtain a crash report in person, you must go to the Florida Highway Patrol Station nearest to where the accident occurred. Otherwise, you must mail a check or money order and the appropriate forms to the FHSMA in Tallahassee, FL.
Are Accident Reports Public Record in Florida?
Accident reports contain personal injury above the people involved in the accident. For that reason, most crash reports are unavailable to the general public for the first 60 days after a crash. Only certain parties can obtain a copy of an accident report during the first 60 days. Those parties include:
- The parties involved in the accident and/or their legal representatives
- Automobile insurance companies that have policies insuring any people or vehicles involved in the accident
- County traffic operations and law enforcement officials
- A victim’s service program
- The Department of Transportation
- A prosecutor’s office
- Individuals under contract to report claims information to automobile insurance companies
- Television and radio stations licensed by the FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
- Newspapers that publish public notices
After the 60-day period, traffic reports are a matter of public record. Therefore, anyone can look up an accident report in Florida by visiting the crash portal and paying the fee.
Do I Need a Copy of the Crash Report After an Accident in Florida?
If you hire an attorney to handle a car accident claim, your attorney’s office obtains a copy of the accident report. A crash report contains important information about the accident, including but not limited to:
- Information about the parties involved in the accident, including their names, insurance companies, and contact information.
- Information about the vehicles involved in the crash, including the make, model, year, color, and tag number.
- The date, time, and location of the accident, including road and weather conditions at the time of the collision.
- Whether traffic citations were issued and if the officer determined the fault for the cause of the crash.
- Admissions of fault made by one or more parties to the police officer. Officers often note statements made by the accident victims during their interviews.
Depending on the officer and the severity of the crash, an accident report may contain other information. The officer may include a diagram of the accident scene, or there could be photographs of the crash site. This information can be helpful as your attorney investigates the crash to gather evidence proving liability.
Get Help With an Accident Claim
You may be entitled to economic and non-economic damages after a car accident. Contact Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law for a free consultation with an Orlando car accident lawyer. Let us answer any questions you might have after an accident.
Contact a Personal Injury lawyer at Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law Today
For more information, please contact Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law to schedule a free consultation. We have five convenient locations in Florida, including Orlando, Palm Bay, Melbourne, Cocoa, and Titusville.
Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law – Orlando, FL Office
633 E Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32803
Phone: (407) 801-3000
Hours: Open 24/7
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Orlando, FL.
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 28.5534238,-81.3692001
Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law – Palm Bay, FL Office
4620 Lipscomb Street N.E Suite #3K
Palm Bay, FL 32905
Phone: (321) 677-5964
Hours: Open 24/7
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Palm Bay, FL.
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 28.039083,-80.6083109
Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law – Melbourne, FL Office
1600 W Eau Gallie Blvd #205j
Melbourne, FL 32935
Phone: (321) 450-7134
Hours: Open 24/7
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Melbourne, FL.
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 28.1289147,-80.6461588
Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law – Cocoa, FL Office
717 S Cocoa Blvd STE 203
Cocoa, FL 32922
(321) 449-8042
Hours: Open 24/7
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Cocoa, FL.
Find us with our GeoCoordinates: 28.3511613,-80.7312948
Norden Leacox Accident & Injury Law – Titusville, FL Office
4527 S Hopkins Ave Suite B
Titusville, FL 32780
Phone: (407) 801-3000
Hours: Open 24/7
Our firm is located near you. We have an office in Titusville, FL.
Find us with our GeoCoordinates:28.5584923,-80.8010051