Because police reports are crucial to a car accident case, you need to know how you can obtain your copy of the report. And if you choose to hire a Virginia car accident attorney through USAttorneys.com to assist with your car accident claim, having this report will not only be helpful to your attorney but also beneficial to your case.
Who Can Request a Car Accident Report?
Sometimes there is only one driver involved in the accident while other times there are passengers and other motorists who are implicated by the crash. The state of Virginia does have specific guidelines regarding who can request a copy of the report and those are shared below. The information has been taken from the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles and may be able to assist you if you aren’t sure as to where you can get yourself a copy of the accident and if you are able to legally do so.
According to § 46.2-380 of the Code of Virginia, the DMV will release a crash report to those involved in the car accident or their authorized representatives including:
- The driver, and injured person, the property owner, a passenger, or the vehicle owner.
- Personal representative of any person involved (e.g., conservator, executor)
- Attorney representing any person involved including a car accident lawyer in Virginia.
- Authorized agent of an insurance company
- Parent or legal guardian of a minor (under age 18) injured or killed in the crash
- Next of kin of a person (age 18 or older) injured or killed in the crash
- A person who has written consent of an individual directly injured in the crash
Now, maybe you are the loved one of an injury victim looking to retrieve a copy of this information or are looking for a detail from the case that has been left out. If you weren’t involved in the accident, you may be entitled to receive:
- Name of each witness
- Date, time, and location of the crash
- Name and address of each driver
- Name of each vehicle owner
- Name of each injured person
- Name of one investigating officer
A person who meets the state requirements can obtain a copy of the police report up to 36 months from the date of the crash. The DMV maintains these reports which means you may be able to get a copy from here or your local police department.
In the event you are having difficulty filing your car accident claim or the police report doesn’t seem to help your insurer provide you with the rightful compensation you are due, give us a call and we will connect you with one of the best car accident lawyers in the state of Virginia.
