How to Order a Police Report After a Car Accident
The police report can become a key piece of evidence in your car accident injury claim. The police report lays out what happened, including the who, what, where, and how. If the police report supports your claim of liability, it’s a strong bargaining chip in settlement negotiations and powerful proof at trial. In order to utilize the police report in your personal injury matter, however, you’ll need to get a copy. Continue reading to learn how to obtain a police report after your Pennsylvania car accident. If you’ve been hurt in a Philadelphia car crash, call a dedicated Chestnut Hill car crash lawyer for advice and representation.
Requesting a Philadelphia Crash Report Online
Depending on where your accident occurred, your case may be handled by either the city or state police. If the city police investigate your accident, you can obtain a copy of a “public safety report” in Philadelphia by requesting a copy from the Department of Records. Public safety reports include traffic accident or crash reports, police incident or offense reports, and other documents.
The City of Philadelphia maintains a special web portal for requesting traffic accident reports online. You can request a copy of your crash report by filling out the crash reports application. Several parties can request a copy of a traffic accident report, including the parties involved in the accident, attorneys representing people involved in the accident, police, other government agencies, and car insurance companies.
Requesting a Philadelphia Police Report by Mail or in Person
You can request a copy of your crash report in person or by mail. You can also request a copy of any police incident or offense reports relating to the crash in person or by mail. There’s a separate form for requesting each type of public safety report, including the traffic accident report and the police incident or offense report. Each of those reports carries an application fee of $25. If an applicant seeking a traffic accident report does not have an acceptable form of ID, they’ll also need to fill out the no photo ID form.
Police reports will be issued by the specific police department that handled the investigation, while traffic accident reports will be issued by the Department of Records. Regardless, the request can be sent by mail to the Department of Records, which will forward the application to the appropriate department. Requests can also be made in person at the Department of Records during business hours Monday-Friday.
Processing time for applications varies depending on the type of report requested. The City estimates a two-to-three-week processing time for crash reports and a 10-to-12-week processing time for police incident or offense reports.
Requesting a PA State Police Accident Report
If you were in an accident on a freeway or other state-controlled road, your crash might be investigated by Pennsylvania state troopers. If the state police investigate your accident, you will need to request a crash report from the PA State Police. You can request a copy of the crash report at the PA State Police’s Online Crash Report Request website.
The State Police advises parties to wait at least 15 days after the accident to request a copy of the report. There is a $22 fee to obtain a copy of the report. Interested parties can also fill out and mail a copy of the SP 7-0015 – Application to Obtain Copy of Police Crash Report form, along with a money order or certified check payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Seasoned Legal Help After a Serious Car Crash in Philadelphia
If you or someone you love has been injured in a traffic crash in Pennsylvania, you need help from a dedicated personal injury lawyer to get the damages you deserve. Benedum Law’s founding attorney Christine Benedum has spent her career fighting for accident victims and knows how to get her clients the compensation they deserve from those at fault. Contact a diligent Philadelphia car accident victim attorney at Benedum Law in Chestnut Hill for a free consultation on your case at 215-529-7848 (215-LAWSUIT).
