How to Obtain a Copy of a Police Report in Indiana
If a car, truck, or motorcycle accident in Indiana causes injuries or at least $1,000 worth of damage, Indiana law says the traffic accident must be reported to authorities. Typically, this means calling 911 and summoning local police, a county sheriff’s deputy, or the Indiana state police to the accident scene.
If law enforcement officials do not respond to the accident scene, you can file a crash report directly with the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV).
The value of reporting a car accident is that it creates an official record of the crash, with details about who was involved and what happened. If you were injured in the crash and plan to file an insurance claim, the police report about the accident is the first piece of evidence needed to support your injury claim.
In Indiana, the car accident lawyers at Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC help individuals and families seek the compensation they are due for serious injuries suffered in car accidents that were someone else’s fault.
Because insurance companies work to avoid making full payments after car accidents, an injured driver, passenger, pedestrian, or bicyclist must have convincing evidence of who was at fault, as well as the extent and cost of their injuries, to obtain proper compensation.
Craig, Kelley & Faultless can help you develop a persuasive case for a full and fair settlement to your car accident injury claim. It starts with obtaining the police report.
Why are Police Car Accident Reports Important?
To obtain an insurance settlement from an insurer that disputes your claim, you must be ready to persuade a jury that their policyholder was at fault for the accident. Members of law enforcement are the first responders to most car accidents. Their official reports can provide a great deal of information.
Some officers and sheriff’s deputies are more detailed when completing their accident reports than others.
However, a car accident report can provide information such as:
- Each driver’s name, address, and insurance information, as well as vehicle owners’ names if different
- Location of the accident
- Date and time of the accident
- Weather conditions at the time of the accident
- Road conditions at the time of the accident
- A description of the vehicles involved and the damage to the vehicles
- Details about the accident, including a diagram of the accident scene and how vehicles approached, collided, and stopped
- Statements collected from drivers and others at the accident scene
- Eyewitnesses’ names and addresses
- Names and addresses of those injured and, in some cases, descriptions of injuries and whether they were transported for medical care
- A determination as to whether either driver contributed to the collision and whether a traffic ticket was issued or an arrest made.
Even if the police made no judgment about fault, such as by issuing a ticket or arresting an alleged drunk driver, their report will provide the basic facts for your car accident attorney to start their independent investigation of the accident.
If you have a copy of the report when you meet with a Craig, Kelley & Faultless car accident attorney, our attorney can give you a good idea of whether we can help you pursue a car accident claim.
It’s also possible for police reports to contain errors. If you obtain a report and recognize mistakes, we can help you amend the report. The sooner the correct information is on file, the better.
A sworn affidavit or other concrete evidence that corrects an error in the record of your accident could be the key to recovering compensation and possibly obtaining a settlement faster.
How to Obtain a Police Report Online in Indiana
All car accident reports from across the State of Indiana are eventually filed with and held by the Indiana State Police. The state police have turned to a commercial vendor known as BuyCrash to make crash reports available to the citizens of Indiana.
Some jurisdictions in Indiana, such as St. Joseph County (South Bend), will provide crash reports in person through the Sheriff’s Department Records Division for a small fee.
For most Indiana jurisdictions, you may obtain a car accident report through the website at www.BuyCrash.com or through the U.S. mail by completing a Buy Crash form specifically for Indiana users found in the website’s FAQs. A report costs $12 as of June 2021.
The BuyCrash website requires you to locate the report you need through a search engine available on the site’s home page. Then you must set up a username and password to establish an account, which allows you to acquire the report through a shopping cart page and checkout. BuyCrash accepts Mastercard, Visa, and American Express credit cards only.
Once you enter your credit card information and click Purchase and Download Report, you will be able to view the report on your computer. From there you can print or download it as you see fit. It will save as a PDF.
Once purchased, reports are available on the site for 30 days.
The complete instructions for purchasing a crash report online from BuyCrash are available here.
To obtain a car accident report online from BuyCrash, you will be asked to provide:
- Name of one driver involved
- Date of crash
- Report number
- Name of responding law enforcement agency
- City or town
- County
- State (if online)
- Requestor’s name and address
- Requestor’s phone number and email address (if online)
Frequently Asked Questions
Are police reports public records?
Police incident and arrest reports are public records. But, as you can see above, many Indiana jurisdictions are making reports available through a commercial vendor.
How long does it take to get a police report?
The time it takes for an officer or deputy to file a car accident report and then for it to become available to the public varies. It’s a good idea to ask the officer who responds to the accident scene when the report will be available. Generally, you should allow about five business days for the report to be filed and five more days for BuyCrash to process it and make it available
How long do I have to report a car accident?
If neither police nor deputy sheriff responds to an accident that causes $1,000 worth of damage or more or injures someone, the driver must report the crash to the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) within 10 days. The form to complete and file, the SR21 form, is used to show proof of insurance following a motor vehicle accident.
If a driver is physically unable to report the accident, another occupant of the vehicle or a witness to the crash is required to do so.
Does a police report say who was at fault for a car accident?
The police report filed after a car accident may contain a statement about who was at fault. However, this is only an opinion based on the police officer’s professional judgment, and it is only likely that police will make such a statement if the officer believes the facts are unquestionably clear. Regardless, the statement does not carry the weight of the law. Police do not decide guilt or innocence. That question is decided in court.
Even a traffic citation only requires a driver to appear in traffic court. It does not confer guilt.
But charges against a driver may be cited in civil court as evidence of a driver’s negligence and fault for an accident. While criminal courts require proof beyond a reasonable doubt to determine guilt, a civil court jury may pass judgment based on a preponderance of the evidence.
A preponderance of evidence means that the proof one side presents is more convincing in comparison to the evidence offered by the other side. Even if the driver who caused the crash that injured you faces prosecution, a conviction will not provide you the money needed to cover your medical bill and other losses. You may need to file a separate civil lawsuit demanding compensation for your medical expenses and losses.
Contact an Experienced Car Accident Lawyer Today
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident caused by someone else in Indiana, a car accident lawyer from Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC can help you understand your legal rights and pursue full compensation for your losses.
We can help you obtain a copy of your accident report if you do not already have it and investigate to gather evidence to hold the parties responsible for your accident accountable.
We can evaluate your case during a free consultation and discuss your options. If we see a path forward, we will offer to represent you and pursue your claim on a contingency fee basis.
Our Indiana car accident lawyers do not get paid a legal fee unless we win your case through a settlement or a jury verdict. Call us today at (800) 746-0226 or contact us online for sound legal counsel, outstanding representation, and dedicated advocacy in your Indiana car accident case.