Obtaining Your Car Crash Report In Phoenix
October 4, 2024 | Car Accidents
An Arizona crash report (a.k.a. a car crash report) is an important document that can help prove who was responsible for a car accident. Getting a copy of your Phoenix crash report is easy. If you’ve been in an accident, having the report in hand when you consult with an attorney can help streamline the process of filing a claim.
How To Get A Copy Of Your Phoenix Crash Report
Being in a car or motorcycle accident can be traumatizing. Even if no one is injured, the experience can leave you flustered and confused. It’s easy to understand how a person could forget all the things they “should” do after an accident, including requesting a copy of the police report.
After an accident, the responding law official will provide all parties with a receipt for a crash report that contains an identification number. You can still receive a copy of your report if you have lost the receipt or forgotten the number. When you contact the appropriate agency, provide your name and the location, date, and time of the incident.
If the accident happens within Phoenix city limits, it will most likely be investigated by local Phoenix police. In this case, you need to visit or call the local precinct and request a copy. You can have the report sent to you online or through the mail, or you can stop by the precinct to pick it up.
If the Maricopa County Sheriff or the Arizona Highway Patrol responded to your accident, you will need to contact the involved agency. Once crash reports are filed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, they become public records. You may also be able to find a copy of the report through the Department of Public Records.
Why Do You Need A Crash Report?
A police report is an official, non-biased document that relates crash details, witness statements, and other pieces of information that could be used as evidence in a trial or settlement case. The document may also include the responding officer’s conclusion on what or who caused the accident, including pedestrian accidents.
Crash reports are often used as evidence in accident lawsuits and small claims courts. If the report states you are to blame, you can still file a lawsuit. Hiring a personal injury attorney is the best option. An attorney understands how to fight for your rights and uncover evidence that supports your claim.
Challenging A Car Accident Report
There is a misconception that crash reports contain only hard facts about the accident. Officers are trained to form educated opinions about what happened at a crash site, but an opinion is still just that. If any factual information is incorrect or if you disagree with the conclusions of the officer, you can challenge the report.
Start by clarifying where the reporting officer got their information. Statements from a neutral third party may be more powerful than statements from the other driver. The position of eyewitnesses may also contribute to incorrect information. You might also question the officer’s training or experience.
You can hire experts like a skid-mark analyzer or an accident-reconstruction specialist to help provide facts that refute the information in a crash report.
A Car Crash Report Is Only One Piece Of Evidence
An accident report is valuable evidence when establishing fault, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. If a report makes you appear to be at fault, don’t give up. The information in a car accident report can be challenged, and you may still receive fair compensation.
Contact the Arizona Car Accident Lawyers at Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers Today
If you were injured in an accident in Phoenix, AZ, and need legal help, contact our Phoenix car accident attorneys at Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free case review today.
Curiel & Runion Car Accident and Personal Injury Lawyers
1221 E Osborn Rd. Suite 201
Phoenix, AZ 85014
(602) 595-5559