Houston Car Accident Lawyers > Articles > Auto Accidents > Austin Police Department Accident Reports
Austin Police Department Accident Reports
Austin Police Department Accident Reports
Law enforcement officers are required by law to investigate motor vehicle accidents that result in injury, death, or property damage costing more than $1,000.The Austin accident report is also called a “collision report” or a “crash report”. This report summarizes information about the motor vehicle crash and contains both facts and opinion of the investigating officer.
The police report is the official documentation of what happened in your accident. You need to notify the police department or sheriff’s office immediately after your accident so that they can send an officer to accident scene to investigate and prepare a report. If you are not sure of the appropriate Austin police department to contact, simply dial 911. There are accidents that do not have a police report because the accident was not reported to the police.
How To Retrieve The Car Accident Report
You can obtain your Austin accident report by going in-person to the Main Police Headquarters in Austin to purchase the report. Another option is to request for the report by mail. The envelope you use to request for the report by mail must contain a payment of $6 in the form of money order, cash, or check. Before you request for the car accident report, you should know the following:
- You will need your case number in order to obtain your Austin accident report
- You cannot obtain the accident report on the APD Incident Report Database
- The Austin crash report can serve as critical evidence in personal injury claims if you suffered injury or property damage in your accident
- You do not need to get another copy of your report from the Austin Police Department if you got a Blue Form at the time of your car accident
The facts in a police report include things such as the date, location and time of the collision. But opinions include the investigating officer’s determination of who caused the accident. The insurance company will also determine who is at fault based on their own investigations. That is why sometimes the investigating police officer’s opinion and insurance company’s investigation may lead to different entities being identified at the at-fault party.
A Crash Report Can Help You Recover Compensation
When you file a personal injury claim with an insurance company, one of the first things they will request from you is the police report. The police report in this situation will act as a document that verifies your account of the accident. Since insurance companies are more interested in profit making rather than offering a fair settlement amount, they may make it difficult for you to get the amount you deserve. This is why you should hire an attorney to negotiate with them or help you file a lawsuit if the insurance company denies your claim.
Parties That Can Retrieve The Crash Report
You can retrieve the crash report if you are:
- Employer of a person in the car crash
- Parents or legal guardians of the drivers involved in the accident
- Anyone with financial responsibility for a motor vehicle involved in the car accident
- Authorized representatives of the people involved in the accident
- Drivers that were involved in the accident
- Insurance companies providing policies for vehicles in the accident
- Some government agencies
- Some news organizations