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After an accident, a law enforcement officer at the scene completes a traffic crash report. There are two different types of reports the responding enforcement officer may complete. These are called Long and Short Forms and are covered within the Florida Statute 316.066.

Florida’s Long Form Accident Report

(1)(a) A Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form is required to be completed and submitted to the department within 10 days after completing an investigation by every law enforcement officer who, in the regular course of duty, investigates a motor vehicle crash that:

1.  Resulted in death or personal injury.

2.  Involved a violation of s. 316.061(1) or s. 316.193.

316.061 – Crashes involving damage to a vehicle or property. (Rendered a vehicle inoperable so that it required a wrecker to remove it from the crash site, or the accident involved a commercial vehicle.)

316.193 – Driving under the influence.

The Long Form report must include: 

1. The date, time, and location of the crash.

2. A description of the vehicles involved.

3. The names and addresses of the parties involved, including all drivers and passengers.

4. The names and addresses of witnesses.

5. The name, badge number, and law enforcement agency of the officer investigating the crash.

6. The names of the insurance companies for the respective parties involved in the crash. 

Florida’s Short Form Accident Report

(1)(b) In every crash for which a Florida Traffic Crash Report, Long Form is not required by this section, the law enforcement officer may complete a short-form crash report or provide a driver exchange-of-information form to be completed by each party involved in the crash. 

The Short Form report must include: 

1. The date, time, and location of the crash.

2. A description of the vehicles involved.

3. The names and addresses of the parties involved, including all drivers and passengers.

4. The names and addresses of witnesses.

5. The name, badge number, and law enforcement agency of the officer investigating the crash.

6. The names of the insurance companies for the respective parties involved in the crash.

(1)(c) Each party to the crash must provide the law enforcement officer with proof of insurance, which must be documented in the crash report. If a law enforcement officer submits a report on the crash, proof of insurance must be provided to the officer by each party involved in the crash. Any party who fails to provide the required information commits a noncriminal traffic infraction, punishable as a nonmoving violation as provided in chapter 318 unless the officer determines that due to injuries or other special circumstances such insurance information cannot be provided immediately. If the person provides the law enforcement agency, within 24 hours after the crash, proof of insurance that was valid at the time of the crash, the law enforcement agency may void the citation. 

“The information that is on either the Long or Short form is used in any personal injury lawsuit. Therefore, this information must be accurate. Our Florida accident attorneys at Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. have the experience required to assist our clients in making sure the accident report is accurate," said Fort Myers Accident Attorney Randall Spivey.

“Should you or a loved one be injured in an accident, please contact our experienced legal team after seeking medical attention. We represent people involved in numerous types of personal injury and wrongful death accidents throughout the state of Florida. All of our clients have unique personal injury cases. Our firm provides personal contact and communication along with aggressive representation. We recommend you contact our firm as many other satisfied clients have done. To review our case results and testimonials please click on Case Results and Testimonials,” recommends Attorney Spivey.

Fort Myers Accident Attorney  Randall L. Spivey is a Board Certified Trial Attorney – the highest recognition for competence bestowed by the Florida Bar and a distinction earned by just one percent (1%) of Florida attorneys.  He has handled over 2,000 personal injury and wrongful death cases throughout Florida.  For a free and confidential consultation to discuss your legal rights, contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A., in Lee County at 239.337.7483 or toll-free at 1.888.477.4839, or by email to Randall@SpiveyLaw.com.  Visit SpiveyLaw.com for more information.  You can contact Spivey Law Firm, Personal Injury Attorneys, P.A. in Charlotte County at 941.764.7748 and in Collier County at 239.793.7748.