Under the Texas Transportation Code, any law enforcement officer who investigates a motor vehicle crash that results in a person’s injury or death or damage worth $1,000 or more must submit a written report of that crash to the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) within 10 days of the crash.
Any driver involved in a traffic accident involving injury or damage should report the crash to the police. A police accident report provides essential information. An insurance company will require a police report to process insurance claims.
An experienced personal injury attorney will want to review the police accident report when evaluating whether an injured person is entitled to file a personal injury case against the at-fault driver.
Other Circumstances Requiring a Police Report
You should report an accident to the police if:
- The vehicles involved cannot be removed from the roadway.
- A driver flees the scene of an accident (a hit-and-run accident)
- You suspect that a driver is intoxicated.
- You request insurance information from a driver involved in the accident, and they don’t have insurance coverage.
Most major insurers in Texas require a police report for car crashes involving injury or major vehicle damage before they will pay out a claim.
If you have questions about whether you are entitled to file a personal injury claim after a crash, schedule a free consultation with a Dallas personal injury attorney.
Why Report an Accident?
The personal injury lawyers at Kraft & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.C., suggest reporting any car accident to police. Having a report on file documents the facts of the crash. If the other driver or an insurance agency disputes anything you say about the accident, the police report will provide details of how the accident occurred.
If you file an insurance claim after a car accident, the police report will be the first piece of evidence supporting your claim. It will show that you were injured in the crash, and potentially that you are owed compensation because someone else was at fault.
What’s Included In an Official Car Accident Report?
In Texas, law enforcement personnel will respond to all but the most minor fender benders. The Texas Department of Transportation maintains a statewide database of reportable motor vehicle crashes and publishes annual motor vehicle accident statistics.
A reportable crash occurred every 56 seconds in Texas in 2023, the Texas Department of Transportation says. Police reported more than 4,280 deaths and more than 250,000 people injured in motor vehicle crashes in the state in 2023.
For each of these accidents, police filed a report, the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3), which includes:
- Date, time, and location of the crash.
- Make, model, color, license plate number, and VIN of vehicles involved.
- Information about commercial motor vehicles such as tractor-trailers and buses involved in crashes.
- Names, contact information, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information of drivers. Names and contact information of others involved. Vehicle owners’ names if different from drivers’.
- Descriptions of injuries and property damage caused by the accident.
- Disposition of anyone injured or killed.
- Where and by whom vehicles were towed from the accident scene.
- Factors and conditions that may have contributed to the crash.
- Results of any driver sobriety tests administered.
- The officer’s description and diagram of how the accident occurred.
- Potential causes of the accident and any tickets issued or charges filed.
How Do I Obtain a Police Report after a Car Accident in Texas?
Anyone involved in a car accident has a right to a copy of the police report about that accident. This includes:
- Vehicle owners
- Insurance companies
- Personal injury attorneys) representing individuals involved
- An employer, parent, or legal guardian of a driver involved in the accident
- Anyone who may file a wrongful death claim because of the death of a family member resulting from the accident.
Local police must file copies of crash reports with the Texas Department of Transportation and keep copies for their own records. When you need a police report, you should contact the local law enforcement agency that responded to the accident or the TxDOT.
The TxDOT has an online portal that allows individuals to purchase certified copies of a relevant Texas Peace Officer Crash Report. It can take up to 14 days from the date of the accident for the police report to appear in the search results. For this system to locate your report, you must provide one of the following:
- Name of a person or company involved in the crash
- Driver’s license/identification card number of a person involved in the crash
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of a vehicle involved in the crash
- TxDOT Crash ID assigned to this crash
You may also request a report from TxDOT by mail. This requires completing a form found online by searching “Request a copy of a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-91),” which provides a link to a downloadable .pdf. The form requires you to identify how you are directly concerned or properly interested in the accident and the information necessary to identify the accident.
Mail the completed form with payment ($8 check or money order) to:
Crash Data and Analysis
Texas Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 12879
Austin, Texas 78711
It may take up to 20 business days to receive a report by mail.
How local police departments provide access to police reports may vary. You may request a car accident report filed by the Dallas Police Department through the mail or in person. They will not release information about an accident over the telephone.
Reports of car accidents in Dallas are usually available 5 to 7 working days after the accident.
If you go in person, the proper customer service window is at the Jack Evans Police Headquarters building at 1400 Botham Jean Boulevard in Dallas.
By mail, the address is:
Dallas Police Department
Open Records Unit
1400 Botham Jean Blvd.
Dallas, TX 75215
You must provide the name of a person involved in the accident, the location of the accident, or the date of the accident. There is a $6 fee for a copy of a car accident report from the Dallas Police Department.
Get Legal Help From Our Experienced Car Accident Lawyers in Dallas
If you have sustained serious injuries in a reportable car crash in the Dallas or Fort Worth area that was not your fault, you may have a right to demand compensation for your medical treatment, medical bills, lost income, and emotional distress. Our Dallas car accident lawyers at Kraft & Associates, Attorneys at Law, P.C., can help you seek the fair compensation you need.
Our personal injury attorneys have provided skilled legal representation to accident victims for over 45 years and have recovered millions of dollars in verdicts and settlements. Contact us for a free case evaluation. If you have a copy of your car accident report, bring it with you. If not, our law firm can get it for you. Call (214) 999-9999.