The police report after an accident

In plain English: a police report (also called a collision report, accident report or crash report) is the officer's written record of a crash: who was involved, where and when it happened, vehicle damage, injuries, witness details and sometimes the officer's view of what caused it.

Why adjusters read it first

When you open a claim, the police report is often the first document the other driver's insurer asks for. It's written by someone with no stake in the outcome, close to the time of the crash, so adjusters give it a lot of weight when deciding fault. A report that notes the other driver ran a red light, was cited, or admitted looking at their phone can move a claim along quickly. A report that is vague, or leans the other way, can slow everything down.

In court, the picture is different. In many US states the officer's opinion about who was at fault can't be shown to a jury, and parts of the report may be treated as hearsay. The officer can still be called as a witness. But most claims settle long before that, which is why the report matters so much in practice.

Getting your copy

• Get the report number at the scene. Ask the officer for their name, badge or collar number and the incident or reference number.
• In the US, reports usually come from the police department, sheriff's office or state highway patrol that attended, often online, for a small fee, a few days to a couple of weeks after the crash.
• In England, Wales and Scotland, you or your solicitor normally request a collision report from the police force that dealt with it. There is usually a fee, and it can take weeks, especially if a prosecution is still being considered.
• In Canada, the process depends on the province. In Ontario, for example, many minor crashes are reported at a collision reporting centre rather than at the roadside.

When police don't come out

Police don't attend every crash, especially if nobody seems hurt. That doesn't sink your claim, but you may still have a legal duty to report. In the UK, if someone is injured and you didn't give your insurance details at the scene, you must report the collision to police as soon as reasonably possible and within 24 hours. Many US states and Canadian provinces require a report above a set damage level or where anyone is hurt. Check your local rules, and report it anyway if you're unsure. A report made the next day is far better than none.

If the report is wrong

Officers arrive after the fact and work quickly. Mistakes happen: wrong street names, a witness left out, your statement summarised badly, or the diagram showing the cars in the wrong lanes.

1. Read the whole report as soon as you get it, including the diagram and codes.
2. For factual errors (plate numbers, insurer, location), contact the department and ask how to request a correction or add a supplemental statement.
3. Officers rarely change their opinion on fault. If you disagree, gather your own evidence instead: photos, dashcam, witness contact details, CCTV.
4. Give a copy of your evidence to your insurer and, if you have one, your lawyer.

Next: incident reports · photographic evidence · what to do after an accident.

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