If you get in a car accident in Florida, there’s a good chance that it’s going to shake you up. Even if you got in a minor fender bender, you might need to take time to recover. You may not have the same confidence when you get behind the wheel that you once did.
It’s also possible that you may feel the need to file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver. You might do that if they won’t take responsibility for the accident, and you have economic losses piling up that you want the other driver to cover.
That’s the type of situation where a Florida car accident report will come in handy. Florida car accident reports feature vital information, and if you’re filing a personal injury lawsuit, much of that information should help you.
Let’s discuss Florida car accident reports in detail. We’ll talk about what they usually cover, as well as what they don’t mention.
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Your Name and the Other Driver’s Name
Let’s say you get in a car accident in Florida. Another vehicle comes out of nowhere and hits you. In the aftermath, you’ll try to pick up the pieces.
That first involves calling the police. Calling 911 makes sense, since you will probably want an ambulance and its crew to come. The medical personnel can look you over, as well as any passengers in your car and the other vehicle’s passengers.
The police will also come to the scene. They have to, since they will need to make out an accident report. That’s part of their job, so you need to let them do that.
They will normally start by taking your name and that of the other driver. They will put both of those in the report.
You will want to have the other driver’s name, and you’ll get that when the police give you a copy of the accident report after they finish filling it out. You will definitely need the other driver’s name, since you will give it to your insurance company once you get a chance to contact them and tell them what happened. You might also need the other driver’s name in case you decide to sue them later.
Your Driver’s License Number and That of the Other Driver
The police car accident report will also mention your driver’s license number. That’s a numerical code that normally features some letters as well. It’s a unique ID that you can find on your driver’s license.
The report will also feature the other driver’s license number. You can feel certain that the police will check on the status of both you and the other driver. They will want to see whether either of you have any active warrants that might subject you to arrest.
Your Insurance Information and That of the Other Driver
The report will also feature your insurance company’s information and that of the other driver. It should mention the name of both companies. It might also feature the number of your insurance policy and that of the other driver, though not necessarily.
You’ll want to have the name of the other driver’s insurance company, since you may need to contact them. Florida has no-fault car accident status. That means that no matter which driver caused the accident, your policy will pay for the damage to your car, and the policy of the other driver should pay for the damage to their vehicle.
However, your insurance policy will only be worth a certain amount. Maybe the cost to repair the car, pay for medical bills, and to cover any lost wages exceeds the amount of your insurance policy.
If so, then you might still need to sue the other driver or their insurance company to recoup the remaining money you lost. You might have non-economic damages for which you’ll sue the other driver or their insurance company as well.
The Date and Time of the Accident
The report should list the date and time of the accident. That is also information that might come in handy during a lawsuit. For instance, if you sue the other driver, and they claim the sun blinded them, and that’s why they hit you, then you might disprove that if you can show that the sun already set at the time the crash occurred.
Injury Information
The report will likely list any injuries that you or the other driver reported at the scene. The police probably don’t have the same medical expertise as an ambulance’s personnel, but if they see that you have an obvious broken bone or some similar injury, they will more than likely put that in the report.
Any Additional Relevant Information
The report might also have any other information that the police officer who writes it may find relevant. For instance, if they give the other driver a breathalyzer test that they fail, the officer will likely mention that in the report. If they smell marijuana strongly in the other driver’s car, they may write that.
They will also probably mention the position of the cars when they arrive or any additional information about the accident scene that seems important.
What Do These Reports Not Cover?
As for what these reports don’t usually cover, that depends. The scene and what the officer sees will strongly impact the report’s details beyond the basics that we’ve laid out.
However, you can usually feel confident that the report will not venture a guess about who caused the accident. It’s not the responding officer’s job to report on any of that.
They will give the facts as they see them in the report. It’s up to you and your lawyer, if you hire one, to determine blame in the crash. Again, that’s probably only necessary if you decide to sue, since Florida has no-fault status.
Hang onto the report when the police give it to you, since you may end up needing it later.
