Pennsylvania Accident Victims Should Request a Copy of Their Vehicle Accident Report

Earlier this month our PA truck accident lawyers offered some information regarding vehicle accident investigations.  However, we did not include information on the crash report and what happens with all the information that is compiled – and how you can access that information.   Below we explain the importance of a Pennsylvania crash report.

The Pennsylvania State Police, along with the state’s nearly 1,300 local municipal police departments, have a duty to investigate each traffic accident that occurs on the Pennsylvania roadways.  That is no easy task with over 120,000 miles of roads and highways in the state.  According to the 2010 Pennsylvania Crash Facts and Statistics, in 2010, PA police investigated 121,312 traffic crashes.  Of those accidents, 1,324 people died and 87,949 were injured.

When police come upon accidents the scene is often chaotic.   The police must first make sure all of the accident victims are properly attended to and then they need to redirect traffic.  After securing the accident scene, the police can then focus on the investigation.  Many times they will have to piece together stories from victims, witnesses and crash experts in order to determine exactly what happened and who is responsible.  The information gathered is then compiled into a police crash report.

The key information included in the report is used to determine who or what was the cause of the accident.  Getting a copy of this report is critical in order to protect your rights to any damages or financial compensation.

These reports could include everything from drawings depicting the accident scene to the site of the accident such as interstate, ramp, intersection or parking lot to information about whether any drivers were alcohol impaired.

Additional information on the report could include:

• The number of occupants and/or passengers in each vehicle as well as the number of pedestrians or bicyclists involved in the accident.
• The number of fatalities or injuries to all people or animals involved in the accident.
• Point of impact, direction and speed of travel of each vehicle.
• Primary contributing factors of the accident such as driver action/inaction, vehicle failure or adverse weather conditions.

All Pennsylvania vehicle accident reports can be accessed through the Pennsylvania State Police website for a small fee.  Fifteen days after an accident any person involved in the crash, their attorney and their insurers can request a crash report.

If you have been injured or a loved one killed in a vehicle accident you may be eligible to recover damages that include medical costs, property loss, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

About Munley Law Personal Injury Attorneys

Munley Law is a Pennsylvania accident and injury law firm that represents car accident victims and their families throughout the state of Pennsylvania and the Northeast, including those injured in accidents that involve speeding, distracted driving, drunk driving, fatigued driving, aggressive driving and careless driving in hazardous weather conditions. The Pennsylvania personal injury law firm’s additional practice areas include trucking accidents, motorcycle accidents, medical malpractice, defective products, toxic chemicals, workplace injuries, nursing home litigation and other serious accidents. To contact the law firm, use the firm’s online contact form.