You Can Obtain the Police Report Online or In Person
Getting the police report after your car accident in Houston is relatively easy. You can obtain a copy of the report by contacting the police department responding to the accident.
In Houston and throughout the state, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) maintains crash records.
To access a copy of the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report (CR-3) online, visit the crash reports and records site. This system delivers a certified copy of the report immediately at a cost of $8 for a certified copy, which is the kind you want for insurance claims and legal actions. You can also purchase a copy by mail when you mail in a CR-92 request form or contact your local police department.
You can also visit the Houston Police Department Records Division in person at 1200 Travis St., Houston, TX, 77002.
To request a report this way, you must do so between 8 am and 5 pm Monday through Friday.
What Kind of Information Does the Police Report Include?
The police report for your accident is a powerful indicator of who holds fault. The report typically (but not always) includes the responding officer’s conclusions regarding the primary cause of an accident. It also includes as much of the following information as the officer could obtain:
- The date, time, and accident location
- The names of the owners and drivers of all vehicles and any passengers
- A description of the weather, lighting, and traffic conditions
- The names and addresses of injury victims and a description of their injuries
- The names of any witnesses
- A description of the vehicles involved
- A diagram of the accident scene displaying the intersection, traffic lanes, vehicle positions, and skid marks
- A description of any property damage
Although Texas Transportation Code §550.062 only requires the police to file a crash report when someone is injured or killed in a crash or when the property damage is more than $1,000, you should always call 911 for law enforcement after a wreck.
Why the Police Report So Important in a Car Accident Claim
Texas is an at-fault state when it comes to auto insurance accident claims. This means that whoever is found at fault for causing the crash is responsible for paying the damages they inflicted on the others.
Yet, demonstrating who is to blame is not as easy as you might think, which is why it’s so vital that you get a police report after your collision.
In addition to the police report, you can collect a variety of other evidence that will support your insurance or legal claim against the other driver such as:
- All your medical records
- Witness statements
- Photos and videos of the accident scene and your injuries
- Information about the other driver’s driving history
- Cell phone records that could show the driver was distracted before the crash
- Accident reconstruction reports
- Expert testimony