You must file an accident report if you have been in a car accident, especially if there are injuries and damage to your car. If you’re still unsure if you want to involve the police and file an accident report. In nearly all situations, you should file that accident report.
We encourage you to contact a West Palm Beach car accident attorney if you have been in an accident. Even if you still need to file a car accident report, we can help you through this legal process. Allow our attorneys at Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath to guide you through this process.
Do you have to file an accident report in Florida?
Some rules require that you file an accident report in Florida. If the accident causes any damages to the other vehicle or any other property, filing an accident report is critical. You will need to document what occurred so that proper steps are followed to hold those accountable and responsible for what occurred.
An accident report is required for any accident that falls in any of the following categories:
- A person suffered an injury or died as a result of a car accident.
- A party involved in the crash left the scene of the accident without providing their contact information, rendering aid to the other person, or before they ensured the accident was reported to the police
- A party involved in the crash was intoxicated or driving under the influence.
- A vehicle involved in the accident had some type of damage that made it inoperable, and it had to be removed from the scene of the incident by a tow truck.
- There was a commercial vehicle of any type involved in the accident
In any of these situations, you are legally required to file an accident report with the police department. You have ten days from the incident date to take that action, meaning you need to contact law enforcement and provide a detailed statement about what occurred.
The importance of a crash report
Even if you do not believe there are a lot of damages present or hope to just pay for them without filing an insurance claim, you still need to file an accident report after a crash occurs. Doing so is necessary because it creates a legal foundation from which an investigation can begin.
More so, that accident report needs to be detailed. It should include all information about where the accident happened, who was involved, a description of all vehicles involved, and the name and contact information of all passengers. You also need to be sure that any witness information is provided and that the police officer investigating the incident is named.
The best situation involves calling the police during the accident and having them come to your location to complete the report. This allows for the most accurate information to be obtained and can help to protect your rights to receive compensation later.
Contact our car accident attorney in West Palm Beach for help
When you are required to file an accident report, you also should consider the value of hiring an attorney to help and support you. At Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath, we work closely with our clients to ensure their needs are met. Contact us for a free consultation to discuss your case at (561) 655-1990. We are here to help you file a report, get a copy of the report, or fight against the information there.
