Accessing traffic accident reports varies by state. Police may provide a report at the scene or issue a case number. Reports are available at the police station within two days. Injuries may complicate access. Reports may be available online for a fee. The case number is required to access the report. Some information may be confidential. Legal representatives may be required to access certain information.
There are several ways to access traffic accident reports, and the applicable method varies by state or region. In many areas, the police officer will provide an automobile accident report at the scene of the accident, while in other situations, the officer will issue a case number to involved parties when further investigation is needed. A copy of the accident report is normally available from the police station within two days of the accident and, in some situations, a signature will be required to obtain the report. Cases involving injuries sometimes make it difficult to obtain traffic accident reports, and in these situations, the insurance company, an attorney, or even a relative can retrieve the report for one of the parties involved. Some departments even make traffic accident reports available online for a fee.
When visiting the police department to obtain traffic accident reports, the clerk will request several pieces of information. The case number is the primary way to access the report, but the officer may also request the date and time of the accident, the name of the parties involved, and the approximate location where the accident occurred. Most municipalities give officers at least 48 hours to prepare the accident report, but if there are questionable conditions related to the accident, processing could take much longer. For example, if there were multiple injuries or conflicting information about how the crash actually occurred, it could take several weeks for investigators to make a final decision as to who was at fault.
Many departments would prefer citizens to call ahead to verify that the vehicle accident report has been completed, and in some situations, the report may only be available to the actual parties involved. Other times, some information may be flagged if the detective believes keeping it confidential would be beneficial to the case, and the same process occurs when privacy or civil rights are in question. If a minor is involved in an accident, for example, your personal information is withheld from the public. Getting all the information on a traffic accident report in these situations often requires a court order signed by a judge.
If consumers are having difficulty obtaining traffic accident reports from legal authorities, action by the insurance company or a legal representative may be required. An officer may not be at liberty to state, for example, that one of the parties involved in the incident is suspected of a criminal violation in the course of the incident, but a lawyer could access this information. If repetitive requests for traffic accident reports are ignored, the attorney will normally contact that department’s internal affairs unit to request an investigation.
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