Reading Your Texas Car Accident Report
Everything you need to know
A car accident in Texas may be one of the most traumatic experiences you may face in your life. Your recovery can be extremely difficult. Dealing with the paperwork from insurance companies, law enforcement and doctors can be overwhelming.
Fort Worth car accident attorney Coby L. Wooten wants to help make the process easier for you. As a service, our law firm has included a sample accident report below with comments to use as a guide.
Carefully read your accident report and compare it to the sample form. Your crash report, which includes a police officer's findings, is typically scrutinized by insurance companies in determining compensation.
To learn how to obtain a copy of your Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report, visit the Texas Department of Transportation website.
If you have questions about your accident report, or if you're looking for more information about what to do after a car accident, contact Coby L. Wooten, Attorney at Law, P.C. today. We can help you interpret your report, free of charge. Call (866) 408-0940 to schedule a free case evaluation.
Police officers record the basics of your traffic accident, such as the Place Where Crash Occurred; Road Where Crash Occurred; Date of Crash and whether the crash involved fatalities, a school bus or a hit-and-run driver.
Law enforcement officials use the Unit Number boxes to record driver and vehicle information for each party involved in the accident.
Driver information:
- Name, address and phone number
- Driver's license number and status
- Ethnicity and occupation
- Insurance information
- Drug test results (if applicable)
Vehicle information:
- Make, model and body style
- License plate number
- Vehicle identification number (VIN)
- Estimated damage
Officers record Damage to Property Other Than Vehicles, including property owner contact information and estimated damage. In addition, if charges were filed against a party involved in the accident, officers record the specific charges and citation numbers.
Police officers record occupant information for each party involved in the accident, including seating position, use of safety restraint, vehicle ejection information and injury severity. If a vehicle is towed due to disabling damages, officers make note and record where the vehicle was removed to and by whom.
Injuries and fatalities are documented on the accident report, including contact information for each victim and ambulance/hospitalization information.
The investigating officer or law enforcement official who responded to the accident scene fills out a written Narrative and pictorial Diagram to describe how and why they believe the accident occurred. In addition, officers list Factors and Conditions that caused the accident in sequential order, as well as the presence of traffic controls, roadway conditions and weather conditions at the time of the crash.
If a commercial vehicle (such as a truck or bus) is involved in an accident, additional information is collected by law enforcement officials. Information collected on truck accidents includes:
- Crash location and date
- Driver name and license class
- Carrier information
- Vehicle type
- Body style
- Sequence of events
Authorities also can conduct an inspection of the truck or bus for out-of-service violations. An investigation may include looking at driver logs, driver fatigue and any Department of Transportation violations related to the maintenance of the truck or bus. If you have been injured in a Fort Worth Truck Accident, call us today.
Click here to download a printable version.