Obtaining A Police Report After A Car Accident in the Austin Area

Quite understandably, most people would like a copy of the police report after being in an Austin area car accident. In fact, obtaining a copy of the police report is one of the first things we do for our clients that were hurt or injured in a car accident.

If you were recently in a car accident and would like a copy of the police report or other important documents, please feel free to contact Sandoval & James. Our accident and injury attorneys, as well as our knowledgeable staff, have experience collecting the necessary documents in regard to your car accident. If you have questions about the proper way to get these documents or would like our assistance in doing so, please give our office a call. Or, if you prefer, you can stop by and sit down with one of our attorneys in person to discuss your accident and any questions you may have.

Is there a Police Report Available For My Car Accident?

To get a police report after a car accident in the Austin area, you must make sure that there is a report, there will only be a police report if either they responded to the scene or if someone reported the accident directly to the police sometime after leaving the scene, typically this is one or both of the drivers. In fact, while many people fail to do so, Texas law actually requires that most car accidents be reported to the Texas Department of Transportation within ten days of the crash if police did not respond to the scene. This is true even if police were called and requested but did not respond. If however, no one was injured and the property damage is less than $1,000, a report does not need to be filed.

Filing a report with the DOT in Texas

To file a car crash report with the DOT in Texas, you will need to file what is referred to as a CR-2 form or blue form. This is the only way Travis County allows you to report a car accident. Travis County may respond to the scene of an accident, but they will fill out the CR-3 form, which is standardized for the state of Texas which can be found here.

What Should I fill Out on Form CR-2

When completing the Crash Report form or Form CR-2, it will request that you provide the following information, so it may be worth gathering this information before starting the process.

Place and time of accident
The name, address, and date of birth of all motor vehicle operators involved in the accident
The driver license information (State of license, license number) of all motor vehicle operators involved in the accident
The driver’s license plate number and state of all motor vehicle operators involved in the accident
The name and address of all policy holders and the name of their insurance
The name and address of all registered vehicle owners of motor vehicles involved in the accident
A summary of what happened during the motor vehicle accident
Weather and road conditions at the time of the accident

Also, if the person injured in the car accident is unable to complete the form due to their injuries or other reasons, it may be permissible for their insurance agent, the owner of the vehicle, or their legal representative to complete the form for them.

How do you get a police report after being in a car accident?

To request a copy of the police report you can either go online and order the police report for automatic download at a cost of $9.00, or you can go into a local police department and request the report at a cost of $6.00. You can also request the crash report online using the Austin Public Records Department. If you want to use the Austin Police department, you must create an account, and submit the request using that method.

If you have additional questions regarding the steps to obtain a police report after a car accident in the Austin area, please feel free to contact Sandoval & James.