Police Report Car Accident Tools: How to Use Them (2024)

Your Duties After a Car Accident

After a crash, you have many duties. For a start, you must stop at the accident scene. If you don’t, your actions constitute a hit-and-run under most states’ laws. You can face criminal charges and should consider hiring a hit-and-run lawyer.

When you stop, you’ll also need to check on the other person, whether they are a motorist, pedestrian or cyclist. If they need medical care, most states require you to help them. For example, Texas law mandates that you render aid by calling for help or driving an injured person to a hospital if necessary.

Your responsibilities after this point depend on your state and the severity of the crash. Most states require you to call the police to report crashes involving injury or death. You would likely do this anyway, but a few states do not mandate it.

For example, California only asks you to call the police for crashes involving death, not injuries. California drivers must still file a written report within 24 hours when a crash only causes injuries, but they do not need to actually call the police unless someone dies.

When the police respond to a traffic accident, they will first secure the accident scene to prevent any further injuries or deaths. This step will probably involve moving the cars to the shoulder. The officers will also request medical assistance for anyone who needs it.

Police Report Car Accident Resources

Some states allow the police to determine whether they must prepare a report for an accident. For crashes that involve only property damage, this typically involves officers having the involved drivers put their information on forms to exchange with one another.

If a report is needed under state law, the officer will investigate and prepare a written document summarizing the investigative findings. In many states, the police must investigate the following crashes:

• Fatal accidents

• Injury crashes

• Hit-and-run accidents

• Intoxicated driving crashes

• Truck accidents involving commercial motor vehicles

The investigation will consist of interviews with the drivers and any witnesses of the crash. The officers will often take pictures of the damage caused to the vehicles or nearby structures, such as guardrails, signs or bridge supports. They may also gather evidence like photos and skid mark measurements.

As part of their investigation, the police will determine whether either driver committed a crime or appeared to have been intoxicated. If the latter seems likely, they may request breathalyzer tests.

The officers will also run each driver’s license to check for outstanding warrants. If any crimes or traffic violations occurred, the officer may make an arrest or issue a citation. The police report will summarize all the information gathered during the investigation. Specifically, a police report may contain any of the following:

• Names and addresses of the drivers

• Names and addresses of the owners of any damaged property

• Description of the vehicles

• Insurance policy information for each vehicle

• Injuries observed at the scene

• Names and addresses of any witnesses

• Narrative description of the crash

• Diagram of the accident scene

• List of any resulting citations or arrests

You can search for a car accident police report sample for your state online. For instance, a blank report for Illinois is available on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website.

How to Get a Police Report for a Car Accident

States vary in how drivers obtain an official report. Do you have to pay for a police report? Many — but not all — states charge for accident reports.

Also, remember that criminal reports, such as police reports for hit-and-run crashes, might be handled differently. In those cases, you may have to file an incident instead of an accident report request.

A police report car accident lawyers use in injury cases may be obtained from any of the following sources, depending on the jurisdiction where the crash happened:

State Government

Many states maintain a central database for all crash reports, regardless of the agencies that produced them. Florida, for example, has a portal where drivers can buy reports from any agency in the state.

Local Agency

The police agency that investigated the crash will often provide the corresponding report. Depending on the size of the agency, you may need to visit the police department to request a copy.

Third-Party Provider

Several parties contract with state and local agencies to store and sell official accident reports. CarFax and Lexis-Nexis are two of the most popular. You can get a copy of your report by finding your local agency’s service and buying through its website.

Using Your State’s Police Report Car Accident Tools

Police reports constitute hearsay in court. However, you can use hearsay documents in insurance claims. Additionally, your lawyer can use evidence found through police reports, such as eyewitness testimony from someone identified in the report.

This evidence can be critically important in proving negligence. It will also help your lawyer pursue claims against uninsured drivers.

Learn More About Accident Reports From ConsumerShield

Getting your police report is an essential step to recovering injury compensation after a crash. ConsumerShield provides information on the law to people who’ve been hurt in car accidents. Contact us for a free case evaluation and a referral to a car accident attorney.