Tips for Filing Your Own Police Report If You’ve Been in an Accident in Ohio
You may already be aware that reporting an auto accident should be one of your first steps after the crash. Reporting an accident often involves contacting local police or the Ohio State Highway Patrol. But in some cases, a driver must file the report themselves after the accident.
To learn more about how to file a police report for your car accident, contact Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law for a free consultation.
Call the Police Immediately
You should contact the police at the scene immediately following the accident. You can call 911 to report the accident and request emergency medical services if someone has been injured or appears to be in distress. Otherwise, you can contact the local police department or the Ohio State Highway Patrol if the crash occurred on the highway or interstate. The police may send an officer to investigate the scene of the crash and prepare a written accident report.
File a Police Report After an Accident
Many police departments will not respond to a report of an auto accident if the crash did not result in any injuries, disabled vehicles, or serious property damage. For more minor “fender-bender” crashes, the drivers involved in the accident may need to file a report themselves after the collision.
It can be beneficial to file a report even when it is not required so you can be reimbursed for property damage and medical care. However, it is required that the report be filed within five days if the accident resulted in injury, death, or more than $1,000 in apparent property damage.
Each law enforcement agency will have its own accident forms that drivers can complete and submit to the agency. Police departments may allow drivers to submit reports via mail, email, or other electronic methods.
If the accident involved an uninsured motorist, you must file a BMV 3303 Crash Report with the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) within six months.
Review Your Report
Before submitting a report to law enforcement or the BMV, you should carefully review the details of your report. All vehicle accident reports should include the following:
- The location of the accident
- The number of people involved and whether they were motorists, passengers, bicyclists, pedestrians, etc.
- The time and date of the accident
- A description of the damage to the vehicles involved
- The estimated value of the vehicle or property damage
- The weather, road, and lighting conditions at the time of the accident
- Name, phone number, and residential address of all drivers involved
- Driver’s license number for all drivers involved
- License plate number for all drivers involved
A report for an accident involving an uninsured driver should include at least three of the following pieces of information about the uninsured driver:
- Name
- Address
- Date of birth
- Driver’s license number
- Social Security number
You should also review any written description of what occurred in the accident to ensure that it accurately reflects your recollection. Do not guess or exaggerate any details.
Get Help from Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law for Your Auto Accident Case
Contact Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law today for a free, no-obligation consultation to learn more about your legal options after a motor vehicle accident. We can answer your questions about filing a police report after an accident and how having an accident report can make a difference in your case.
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At Amourgis & Associates, Attorneys at Law, we only represent consumers. We fight for regular people who have been seriously hurt in accidents. We fight for people who are being crushed by overwhelming debt and need a fresh start. We fight for individuals and families. Never businesses. Never insurance companies. We are loyal to the consumer.
