Texas Department of Transportation provides access to forms necessary to report motor vehicle accidents or to request crash reports from law enforcement. Reporting accidents to the police or the Department of Transportation is necessary when collisions cause property damage, injury, or death.
Every motorist should know how to report a car accident and how to understand their Texas car accident report. Being prepared in advance will help you to stay calm during a stressful moment and will help you to take the right steps to protect your interests in the minutes, hours, days, and weeks after a collision.
Steps to take to report your accident
The first thing to do after most car accidents is call a law enforcement officer. Calling 911 is appropriate if anyone has been hurt or if anyone has been killed because of the motor vehicle accident. Even if no one is seriously hurt, alerting the police is still a good idea so an officer can write up a crash report that could later be used as evidence in an accident claim. The non-emergency number for the Fort Worth police department is 817-335-4222 and there are other contact numbers available on the FWPD's website.
Both drivers should stop at the crash scene and exchange information. Be sure to get full details from the other driver regarding his insurance company. Texas is a fault state, which means you can pursue a claim against the other driver in any situation where you suffer damage. The other driver should alert the insurance company to the crash. You may end up relying on the insurer representing the negligent driver to pay for your losses.
It will be up to you to prove the other driver's insurance should pay, which you can do by proving the driver was negligent or broke traffic laws in a way leading to your accident. If the insurance company accepts its policyholder should be held accountable, the insurer can try to negotiate a settlement.
If the other driver wasn't to blame for the accident or if the other driver has insufficient or no insurance, you may need to explore other options for compensation. Although Texas does not require uninsured motorist coverage, collision coverage, or personal injury protection, you can buy more insurance than minimum coverage. You should reach out to your own insurer by calling the number on your insurance card after the accident.
Don't wait to let your insurer know of the crash in case you need to seek benefits. Remember, insurance companies, even your own, are not looking out for your best interests. Contacting an experienced auto accident attorney is the best course of action to protect your rights.