If you are injured in a North Richland Hills car accident, make it a point to call the police. The police will investigate your crash and make a report that will be important to any subsequent legal proceedings.
Fortunately, getting your police report is a relatively simple process, no matter who investigated your crash. All police accident reports are submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation. So, if your accident report was made by the North Richland Hills Police Department or another agency, you will be able to access it online from the same TxDOT source. Even if you are unsure which law enforcement agency investigated your crash, you should be able to recover your report with your name or driver’s license number. Our team can help you get your report if you are having trouble or lack internet access and put it to work for your case immediately.
For a free case evaluation with our North Richland Hills car accident attorneys, contact The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. at (817) 476-1797.
How Do I Get a Police Report After Getting Injured in a North Richland Hills, TX Car Accident?
If you were injured in a car accident in North Richland Hills, a law enforcement agency likely investigated the crash and filed a report. In fact, Tex. Trans. Code § 550.062(a) requires the police to investigate all car accidents resulting in the death or injury to any one person or $1,000 or more of apparent property damage. Fortunately, our North Richland Hills personal injury attorneys can help you get a copy of your report and put it to good use in your case. Getting your report online is the best, and likely only, way to do so these days, regardless of which police department investigated your crash. The following will explain everything you need to know about getting your police report for a car accident in North Richland Hills:
Where to Access Your Report
If your accident happened in North Richland Hills, it is more than likely that the North Richland Hills Police Department (NRHPD) made the report. However, it is possible that your accident was investigated by the Texas Highway Patrol. In the past, you would have needed to contact the agency that drafted the report. Now, all police reports in the state are submitted to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), as per § 550.062.
You can access your report online from a few different websites. The NRHPD’s site will have an access portal that will take you to the TxDOT’s Crash Records Information System, or “C.R.I.S.” The online reporting system can also be accessed from the TxDOT’s website and the Texas Department of Public Safety’s site.
This streamlined approach makes it easier for car crash victims to get their reports. No Matter the name of the law enforcement agency on the paperwork you got at your accident, you can get your report online from the same source.
What Information You Will Need
You can access your report online with just one or two pieces of information you should have available at hand. The easiest way is to provide your name, but can also include the names of other people or companies involved in the accident. Reports can also be recovered by searching the driver’s license number of a person involved or the vehicle identification number (VIN) of one of the vehicles involved. You can also obtain the report with the TxDOT crash ID number if you got one at the scene of your accident.
When Your Report Will Be Available
If your report does not show up even after putting in the information above, it is likely that it is not available yet. Fortunately, it should not take too long before your collision report is accessible, regardless of which police department is responsible for it. According to § 550.062(b), police reports must be electronically filed with the TxDOT no later than ten days after the date of the accident.
However, that does not mean your report will be available in ten days. C.R.I.S. advises that it can take up to 14 days from the date of your accident before your report appears in its system. Contact our team immediately, though, if your police report is still not accessible after 14 days have passed.
The Cost of Your Report
How much your crash report costs will depend on which type you request. For a regular copy of your report, the fee will be $6. A regular copy is usually fine for insurance claims and your case since a police report cannot be used as evidence in most trials. If a copy is needed for a legal proceeding, a certified copy can be purchased for $8. Lastly, your purchase can be made using any major debit or credit card.
What Should I Do After Getting My Police Car Accident Report in North Richland Hills, TX?
The best thing to do after getting your police report is to have our attorneys review it. With it, we can usually determine exactly how your accident was caused. As mentioned, police reports are inadmissible in most court cases, but they are still incredibly important to insurance negotiations. Considering that most car accident claims are settled before trial, ensuring your report is accurate and taking advantage of all its information is important.
Identify Errors
First, we want to make sure the report accurately reflects the accident, as you understand it. Law enforcement probably interviewed you on the scene, so we will check with you that the information they recorded was what you said. We will also make sure the accident details match your recollection, like the time of day and the weather.
If you do identify errors in your report, our team will immediately contact the law enforcement that took the report and see if it can be corrected. Accuracy is crucial since we will be relying on this document throughout your claim.
Identify Witness Information
Witnesses can be incredibly helpful to your claim if we identify them in your report and get their testimony. The statements any witnesses gave in the report will inform us of what they saw and what information they could provide regarding liability, but these statements are usually not admissible in court. Fortunately, we can use this information if we get these statements in the course of your legal claim.
Your police report should have witness contact information. Our team can reach out to them on your behalf and make the arrangements as quickly as possible to get their testimony. The sooner we can get their information on record, the more credible it will be if the case does go to trial.
Our North Richland Hills Car Accident Lawyers Can Help Use Your Report in Your Case
Call The Queenan Law Firm, P.C. at (817) 476-1797 for a free case review with our Dallas, TX car accident lawyers.