To secure a Texas Highway Patrol crash report yourself, you’ll request it online from the TxDOT site here. If you have a lawyer for your car accident case, your lawyer will secure the report for you. Your car insurance agent may also obtain it.
Tracking Down a Crash Report Filed By the Texas Highway Patrol
If a Texas Highway Patrol officer investigated your accident, you can seek a copy of the crash report from the Texas Department of Transportation. TxDOT makes accident reports available through the Crash Records Information System (C.R.I.S.) site.
Officers are required to prepare reports for accidents that result in injury to or the death of a person or damage to the property of any one person to the apparent extent of $1,000 or more.
TxDOT allows lawyers, insurance agents, some media, and other law enforcement agencies to request reports. If you want a personal copy, you need to meet one of the following criteria:
- Any person involved in the accident
- The authorized representative of any person involved in the accident
- A driver involved in the accident
- An employer, parent, or legal guardian of a driver involved in the accident
- The owner of a vehicle or property damaged in the accident
- A person who has established financial responsibility for a vehicle involved in the accident in a manner described in Texas Transportation Code 601.501, including a policyholder of a motor vehicle liability insurance policy covering the vehicle.
Persons or entities who do not meet the criteria will receive a redacted copy of the crash report.
It’s also important to be patient. An accident report may not be available for up to two weeks after the date of the collision.
What Information Do I Need to Find My Texas Highway Patrol Crash Report?
TxDOT and the C.R.I.S. website will need anyone who requests an accident report to have at least one of the following pieces of information handy when filling out the online form:
- The Name of a person or company involved in the crash
- The Driver’s License/Identification Card Number of a person involved in the crash
- The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)of a vehicle involved in the crash
- The TxDOT Crash IDs for one or more crashes (This is a number assigned to each report after it is submitted. The investigating officer will have this number once a report is online)
Is There a Charge to Get a Copy of My Texas Highway Patrol Accident Report?
Yes. Your report can cost between $6 and $8. A normal copy costs less than a certified copy of your crash report.
Do I Need a Lawyer After a Car Accident on a Houston Highway or Interstate?
After an accident, if you find yourself with only minor injuries like scratches and bruises, or only damage to your car, you may not benefit from having a lawyer handle your case.
But if you suffer a serious injury and another driver is to blame, talking over your case with a lawyer is a good idea. Among other things, a serious injury could include a broken arm, head trauma, or a neck or back injury.
Insurance companies battle even harder to wiggle out of taking responsibility when your medical bills will be expensive. Insurance adjusters will attempt to pin the blame on you or even try to downplay the injuries you have to get away with offering less in compensation.
Your Houston car accident lawyer protects you from their tactics and ensures you get the maximum in compensation available. That means money to pay your medical bills and money to support your family while you can’t work. That’s in addition to injury settlement checks that factor in the physical pain you’ve endured and the emotional trauma you’ll have to cope with.
To find out if you have a strong case, contact The Gutierrez Law Firm. We offer a free case review to all accident victims. There’s no obligation, but if you feel we can help you earn more for your injury, you won’t need any money to hire us. We don’t get any money unless we win your case for you. Then our fee comes out of the settlement money car insurers must pay you.
