Houston has more car accidents than any other city in Texas. According to TXDOT, Houston had over 58,000 crashes in the city limits added in the greater Houston area, and that number doubled. Here is how to get a Houston accident report.
If you have been in a car accident in Houston with injuries or property damage over $ 1,000. The odds are that an accident report will be part of a claim.
Getting a crash report, knowing how to read a crash report, and how an accident report may be used are important to know if you are making a claim.
This guide will take you through the steps and costs to obtain your Houston accident report, how to read it, and how the information may be used.
How to Get a Houston Accident Report
What information is needed to get a Houston accident report?
Getting a copy of a Houston car accident report requires you to provide the Houston Police Department or the DOT with as much of the information below as possible.
Here is the form you must fill out.
- The ID number you received from the investigating officer
- Your name and the name of the other drivers
- Date of the accident
- Location the crash occurred
How Much Does an Accident Report Cost?
The cost for an accident report is six dollars for a regular copy or eight dollars for a certified copy. Our personal injury law firm suggests getting a certified copy if you expect to make an injury claim. Getting a Houston accident report today is easy online if the police report is ready.
Why get a certified copy of the Houston accident report?
If your case gets to court, some parts of the crash report may be admissible as evidence. Getting a certified copy helps in that event.
Where can I Purchase an Accident in Harris County in Person?
In-person
To purchase an accident report in Harris County in person, you have a few options.
To purchase an accident report in person in Harris County, you have several options for locations:
1. District 1 Substation: Located at 6831 Cypresswood, Spring, Texas 77379. You can contact them at 281-376-2997.
2. District 2 Substation: Situated at 7900 Will Clayton, Humble, Texas 77338. Feel free to reach out to them at 281-446-9155.
3. District 3 Substation: Found at 14350 Wallisville, Houston, Texas 77049. You can contact them at 713-455-8050.
4. District 4 Substation: Located at 16715 Clay Rd., Houston, Texas 77084. You can contact them at 281-463-2648.
5. District 5 Substation: Situated at 23828 Tomball Pkwy., Tomball, Texas 77375. You can contact them at 281-290-2100.
6. Vehicular Crimes: Situated at 3540 W. Dallas, Houston, Texas 77019. You can contact them at 713-274-7400.
These locations will be able to assist you with purchasing a Harris County accident report in person.
By Mail
- Mail in the request form and include a six-dollar money order and a self-addressed and pre-stamped envelope. Send the filled-out form and the 6-dollar money order to:
Houston Police Department, Attn: Records Division
1200 Travis, Houston, TX 77002
Online
- You can buy the HPD crash report online from the Texas Department of Transportation by following this link https://cris.dot.state.tx.us
How Do I Get a Report From the Harris County Sheriff’s Office?
To obtain a crash report from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, there are two available options:
- In-person: You can visit a district substation or the county office in Harris County. By going there personally, you can request a crash report directly from the Sheriff’s Office.
- Online: Another convenient way to access a crash report is through the LexisNexis Police Reports portal. By visiting this online portal, you will be able to search and obtain the required crash report electronically.
Keep in mind that there are associated fees for acquiring crash reports. In Harris County, the cost is $6.00 per report. However, if you require a certified copy, the fee increases to $8.00.
Please note that this response provides a comprehensive answer to the question and is not a direct quote from any specific source.
Are There Special Situations That May Delay an Accident Report?
Fatal Crash
In certain situations, accident reports may not be readily accessible to the public due to specific circumstances. One such circumstance may arise if there is a fatality involved in the accident. In these cases, authorities often prioritize notifying and communicating with the deceased individual’s family and loved ones before releasing any information to the public.
Ongoing Criminal Investigations
Another reason that accident reports may not be immediately available is if there is an ongoing criminal investigation related to the incident. In such scenarios, law enforcement agencies need sufficient time to conduct their inquiries, gather evidence, and ensure a thorough examination of the circumstances surrounding the accident. This investigation process is necessary to determine potential criminal liabilities and to safeguard the integrity of the legal proceedings.
In both cases, the release of accident reports can be delayed because authorities prioritize ensuring accurate and complete information is provided. Waiting allows them the necessary time to conclude their investigations and provide a detailed and comprehensive report to the public.
Therefore, if you find yourself in a situation where accident reports are not readily accessible, it is essential to be patient and understand that there may be special circumstances involved, such as fatalities or ongoing criminal investigations, which require additional time for investigation and analysis before the reports can be made available to the public.
When are Houston accident reports required?
In Texas, if the crash results in an injury or death or where the vehicle involved has more than $ 1,000 in damages. According to Texas law, the investigating officer should turn in the written crash reports within ten days of the wreck. If you are injured in an accident, you should always wait for the police to arrive. Harris County Sheriff’s Office or Harris County law enforcement may write up the police report.
How long does it take to get a Houston accident report?
Six to eight days is the average wait for a report to be completed and available. The Texas Department of Transportation gets reports from all over the state for collisions on public roads in Texas. Usually, you must wait at least a week before the crash report is ready. HPD incident reports are available through TXDOT.
If the accident involved a fatality, the reports would always take longer, as the investigation is more thorough. In some cases, the accident report may be ready in five days. But, for non-fatal accidents, the reports should be ready in a week or less.
What is in a Texas Crash Report?
Texas crash reports and Houston police incident reports contain much helpful information if you make a personal injury claim. The basic information includes the vehicles, people, insurance, date, and location.
Factors Commonly Cited By Officers
Also, a crash report can include witness comments, scene details, tickets issued, and the officer’s opinion on the causes of the crash (listed under “factors and conditions“). For instance, if you were in a rear-end accident, the officer will likely site failure to control speed as a factor.
A t-bone accident usually happens in a intersection when one driver does not obey the right-of-way rules or disregards a traffic signal. Disregarding a signal can be written up as:
- Disregard Stop and Go Signal (no 15)
- Disregard Stop Sign or Light (no 16)
- Disregard Turn Marks at Intersection (no 17)
Distracted driving is another common factor listed as a potential cause of a collision. The factors are driver inattention (no 20) or distraction in a vehicle (no 19).
Hit-and run accidents are common and will result in a citation and worse serious injures are involved.
Head-on accidents are written up on the crash report as either nos 69 to 71 as wrong-way accidents.
Speeding is a very common infraction and is listed as no 60 unsafe speed or no 61 speeding over the limit.
How to Read a Texas Crash Report
A Guide to a Texas Peace Officer’s Report
Texas has a standard form used to report all accidents in the state. The form is called CR-3.
The crash report lists details about the accident, such as persons involved, vehicles, insurance, opinions regarding fault, and much more.
The images below highlight what to look for in the accident report and where that information is listed.
It is essential to understand that just because the investigating officer found fault or issued a ticket does not make the officer’s conclusions or issuing a traffic ticket binding on an insurance company when you make an injury or property damage claim.
How Insurance Adjusters Use Texas Crash Reports
If you have been injured in a car or truck accident that was not your fault or sustained damage to your vehicle, the insurance company will analyze the findings in a crash report. Although you can make a car accident claim without a Houston crash report, having one helps.
If the crash report lists you as at fault, partially or solely, you can expect the adjuster for the at-fault party to deny your claim, even when the officer got it wrong.
However, a Houston crash report may also have enough admissible evidence that an adverse adjuster may accept the claim. The adjuster will usually accept a claim when the crash report contains the following:
- Drinking or drug use by the other driver
- Independent witnesses to the crash that fault their insured
- Statements made by their insured to an officer admitting fault.
- Crystal clear liability like a rear-end accident.
How are crash reports used in a Houston auto accident lawsuit?
If a personal injury claim from an auto accident or motorcycle crash is denied or a reasonable settlement is not possible, a trial may happen to decide the matter. In this case, Texas crash reports can come into evidence, but they may be partially redacted.
Insurance is almost always redacted before a jury sees a report in a trial.
The admissibility of an officer’s opinion in the crash report regarding the cause of the crash depends on the officer’s qualifications and the work done investigating the case.
Consult a Houston personal injury law firm for more information about crash reports and trials.
Baumgartner Law Firm Practice Areas
At Baumgartner Law Firm, our personal injury attorney in Houston, TX, helps clients throughout Texas maximize their damages to get the compensation they deserve. We have recovered millions of dollars and represented thousands of accident victims.
Since 1985, our firm has limited the practice to serious injury cases and produced exceptional results in the following areas:
- Auto & Car Accidents
- Catastrophic and Severe Injuries
- Construction Site Accidents
- Truck & 18-Wheeler Accidents
- Daycare Negligence & Child Injury
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Drunk Driving Accidents
- Dram Shop Lawsuits
- Wrongful Death
Our founder attorney, Greg Baumgartner, has over 35 years of experience and has been peer-reviewed preeminent for decades.
Have questions about an accident report or a car crash claim?
Call a Car Accident Lawyer at Baumgartner Law Firm for a Free Consultation!
Our experienced car accident lawyers in Houston have been helping victims for over three decades.
Never a Charge for an Injury Consultation
Call (281) 587-1111 or complete the online case evaluation request.
6711 Cypress Creek Pkwy,
Houston, TX, 77069
Related Auto Accident Resources:
How Long Does an Auto Accident Lawsuit Take?
How Much to Expect from a Car Accident in Texas?
What are Most Lawyer Fees for Car Accidents?
How Long Do I Have to File a Car Accident Claim in Houston, TX?
Texas Car Accident Reports Basics
The Difference Between Car Accidents and Big Truck Wrecks in Texas
Is Texas a “No-Fault State for Car Wrecks?
What Does a Car Accident Attorney Do?
Can I Sue My Own Auto Insurance Company in Texas?
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