Understanding Accident Reports in South Carolina

Accident reports are a critical part of the aftermath of any vehicular collision in South Carolina. They provide detailed information about the incident, helping to establish facts and determine liability. Whether you're dealing with insurance claims, legal proceedings, or simply need to understand what happened, an accident report is an essential document. On this page, we'll guide you through the process of obtaining, understanding, and using accident reports in South Carolina. Explore the sections below to learn more about why these reports are important, how to access them, and what they contain.

The Initial Report: FR-10 

Accidents investigated by law enforcement in South Carolina will always have two documents created, both of which are referred to as accident reports.  The first document is called an "FR-10" form.  The FR-10 is primarily designed to act as notification to your insurance company that you were in a wreck.  It also serves to give you the insurance information of all other parties involved in the collision.  This form is created on the scene by the investigating officer and given to each driver.  

You are required by the SCDMV to complete and turn in a copy of the FR-10 to your own insurance company within 15 days of the collision and failure to do so could result in having your license suspended.  

PRO-TIP: Be sure to snap photos of the FR-10 before sending it to your insurance company.  Get an overall shot and then a close up of each of the boxes with driver information.  

If you are a passenger in an accident, be sure to snap some photos of the FR-10 that is given to the driver before they turn the form into their insurance carrier so that you have the information you need as well.    

The Final Report: TR-310 

After the investigating officer returns to their office, they use all of the information they gathered on scene to create the final full accident report, called a TR-310.  This report will include a substantial amount of information not provided on the FR-10 including: 

a narrative of what happened 

the citations issued and to whom 

the officer's estimate of the value of the property damages 

weather conditions for the day 

the nature of the roadway 

the type of vehicle 

whether a CDL was necessary for the vehicle driven 

the demographic information for each driver 

You can obtain a copy of the Final Accident Report or TR-310 after your wreck at this SCDMV website.  

Fatality and Serious Collision Report: Multi-Disciplinary Accident Investigation Team or MAIT Report 

The South Carolina Highway Patrol will investigate serious and collision involving a fatality and create what is called a MAIT Report.  These reports are the most detailed that South Carolina law enforcement creates about collisions and includes audio of witness interviews, dash cam footage, accident reconstruction analysis and computations, photographs of the scene, and a paragraph narrative explaining the cause of the collision.  

If you have been injured in a collision where there a MAIT report is created, that is a serious collision that requires the assistance of an injury lawyer to ensure you will be compensated fairly.  

Jess's standard practice is to request copies of the TR-310 and MAIT Report from the investigating law enforcement agencies on every case.  This ensures that variables that can positively impact the value of your case are researched to the fullest extent. If you need an injury lawyer, contact Jess TODAY for a FREE case evaluation.