The chances of you being in at least one car accident in your lifetime are high, unfortunately. If you have never been in one before, we certainly hope that you are one of the lucky ones and you’re never in a crash. On the other hand, if you are in a car accident, you’ll need to know about how the state handles police reports – when they are legally required and why they are necessary.
According to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), law enforcement is required to file a police report whenever the property damage in a crash appears to be $1,000 or more, or whenever someone was injured or killed in a crash.
Can I Get a Copy of the Report?
If the police were called to the scene of a crash and a police report was made, you should be able to obtain a copy of the police report as long as you are an interested party and are any of these individuals:
- You were anyone involved in the accident (you don’t have to be the driver).
- You are an authorized representative of someone who was involved in the crash.
- You are one of the drivers involved in the accident.
- You are an employee, a parent, or legal guardian of a driver who was involved in the collision.
- You own one of the vehicles that were damaged in the accident.
- You are financially responsible for a vehicle involved in the accident.
- You work for an insurance company that issued an auto insurance policy that covers one of the vehicles in the crash.
If you fit into one of the above categories of “interested persons” who can receive a copy of the police report, you can use TxDOT’s Crash Report Online Purchase System. Those who use the online system can receive a copy of their report immediately if it is available on the site for purchase. Usually, regular copies are $6 and certified copies are $8, which are requested by people who need an official document for a legal proceeding.
Looking for a Plano car accident lawyer? Contact The Zendeh Del Law Firm, PLLC today.