Crash reports can be extremely beneficial when pursuing an automobile insurance claim. Given the importance of a crash report, it is crucial to know how to request and obtain it following a car accident.

How Do I Request a Crash Report?

It is in a crash victim’s best interests to call 911 immediately after a motor vehicle accident. If someone needs medical attention, the 911 dispatcher can send an ambulance for emergency treatment. Additionally, the dispatcher can send a police officer to investigate the circumstances of the collision. Texas peace officers who investigate a motor vehicle accident must create a written crash report if the accident resulted in the death of or injury to a person or more than $1,000.00 of property damage. Texas law gives the investigating officer ten days to create a crash report.

Why is a Crash Report Valuable?

A well-written crash report contains many important details, including:

• The names of all persons and vehicles involved in the collision;

• The date, time, and area of the collision;

• The drivers’ insurance policies;

• A summary of how the officer believes the collision occurred; and

• The party who the officer believes caused the collision.

Texas is an at-fault state. Therefore, Texas crash victims must prove that the at-fault driver is legally responsible for causing the collision to recover damages from the at-fault driver’s automobile liability policy. Since most law enforcement officers have the training and experience to determine the cause of a crash, the crash report can help prove that the at-fault driver’s negligence caused the accident.

How Can I Get a Copy of my Crash Report?

The fee for a regular copy of a crash report is $6.00, but an agency can charge $8.00 for a certified copy. There are several ways to get a copy of a crash report.

Online

A crash victim can purchase the report online through Texas’s C.R.I.S. website. To purchase the crash report, the victim must have his or her driver’s license number or TxDOT Crash ID number. According to the C.R.I.S. website, it could take up to 14 days for a crash report to appear in its database.

In-Person

Sometimes, a person can obtain a crash report faster by directly contacting the appropriate police department. Below is a list of most major police departments in Cameron County:

Brownsville Police Department
600 East Jackson Street
Brownsville, Texas 78520

Harlingen Police Department
1018 Fair Park Boulevard
Harlingen, Texas 78550

La Feria Police Department
115 East Commercial Avenue
La Feria, Texas 78559

Los Fresnos Police Department
520 East Ocean Boulevard
Los Fresnos, Texas 78566

Port Isabel Police Department
110 West Hickman Avenue
Port Isabel, Texas 78578

Rio Hondo Police Department
121 North Arroyo Boulevard
Rio Hondo, Texas 78583

San Benito Police Department
601 North Oscar Williams Road
San Benito, Texas 78586

Santa Rosa Police Department
215 FM 506
Santa Rosa, Texas 78593

South Padre Island Police Department
4601 Padre Boulevard
South Padre Island, Texas 78597

Speak With an Experienced Accident Attorney After a Car Wreck

Car accidents can be traumatic, so requesting and obtaining a crash report may be one of the last things on a crash victim’s mind. An experienced injury lawyer can help obtain the crash report and guide the victim through the claims process.

If someone else’s negligence has injured you or a loved one, you have enough things to worry about. Do not let dealing with the at-fault driver’s insurance company be one of them. We deal with the insurance company so you can focus on getting your life back to normal. You have one chance to do this; make the right choice by choosing the right attorney. Call us at (956) 291-7870 or email us at contact@rdjlawyer.com for a free consultation and case evaluation.