Call Us!How To Look Up An Accident Report In Colorado After A Car Crash
You’ve been involved in a car accident and are communicating with the insurance companies involved. While these are the right steps to take after a car accident, it’s important that you don’t leave out this critical step — obtaining a copy of the accident report.
When you have a copy of the accident report, you can strengthen your claim to help maximize your compensation payout. Even if you were partially at fault in the accident, the accident report serves as critical evidence that can help you push back against insurance company tactics that aim to minimize your claim.
Do you have any specific questions about your case? Reach out to our team at Bachus & Schanker to see how our team of experienced attorneys, paralegals, and investigators can support you in the way you need after a car accident.
What Is An Accident Report And Why Is It Important?
When a car accident happens, and drivers or passengers suffer injuries, significant damage to their vehicles, or damage to public property, authorities will be alerted, and a police officer will arrive on the scene to document what happens in an accident or police report.
This report contains critical information about the accident, including:
- Who was involved in the accident.
- How the accident happened.
- Roadway conditions at the time of the accident.
- Witness statements and contact information.
- Any other relevant information.
How Do You Get An Accident Report In Colorado?
Getting an accident report in Colorado is pretty straightforward, but you do have to understand a couple of factors to make sure the process of obtaining your report goes smoothly.
Accident reports are maintained under the jurisdiction of the law enforcement agency of the locality where your accident took place. For example, if your accident took place within a city or town’s limits, you should contact that city or town’s local police department first.
If your accident took place outside of a city or town limit, the next location you’d want to check is the county’s sheriff’s department. Similar to the police department, the sheriff’s department should have a dedicated administrative or records department where you can obtain a copy of the accident report.
The Colorado State Patrol has jurisdiction over accidents that happen on state highways or interstates. The Colorado State Patrol has a dedicated website where you can submit a request for a copy of the report.
How To Request A Report
Contact your local police or sheriff’s office that oversees the jurisdiction where your accident happened to ask about the process of obtaining a copy of the police report. Most local departments will require you to fill out a request form first.
If your car accident happened in the jurisdiction overseen by the Colorado State Patrol, visit the Colorado State Patrol website and follow the steps outlined for obtaining a copy of the accident report.
What Information Is Needed To Look Up A Report?
Whether you’re visiting a police or sheriff’s office in person, calling them over the phone, submitting a request via mail, or submitting a request online, you will need to provide information to locate your accident report.
This might include the:
- Date and time of the crash.
- Location where it happened (city, county, and street name).
- Names of the drivers involved.
- Accident report number (this is the fastest way to look up a report).
How Long Does It Take To Receive A Report?
It can take anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks to receive a copy of the accident report. It really depends on how you requested the accident report and which law enforcement agency took down the accident report.
Requestion in person or online typically results in shorter wait times. You can also request an accident report by mail, but this process does take a bit longer, and it is important that you provide all relevant information beforehand when submitting your request to ensure that there are no blockers to you receiving the report.
With all requests, you’ll likely need to fill out a form requesting a copy of the report, and your form will need to pass through several channels for approval before your request can be granted.
Are There Fees To Obtain A Report?
Yes, most law enforcement departments have a small fee attached to the accident report request form that you fill out.
What To Do If You Cannot Find Your Report
If you cannot find your report, there may be several factors at play.
Consider the following if you’re having trouble locating your accident report:
- Ensure that you are searching for your report with the correct law enforcement agency overseeing the jurisdiction where your accident happened.
- Double check that the information you’re searching for is correct (your incident report number, the day of the accident, and the spelling of the different drivers involved).
If you are still unable to locate your report, get in contact with the law enforcement agency that responded to your accident.
How We Can Help
Once you’ve obtained a copy of the accident report, the next step is to utilize the accident report in a way that strengthens your claim and accurately reflects the full compensation you may be entitled to. This might include compensation related to your injuries, property damage, rental costs, and even time off work.
At the law offices of Bachus & Schanker, our legal team understands the ins and outs of all types of car accidents in Colorado. Whether your accident happened in a city, county, or state jurisdiction, our attorneys can help track and utilize your accident report as a critical piece of evidence to strengthen your claims.
Get in touch today to schedule your free case evaluation and get the legal representation you deserve.
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