Nobody wants to be involved in a car accident. Following an accident, it is hard to get your thoughts sorted, and documenting the accident is just as difficult.
You may overlook the need for a Fort Worth accident report in the midst of the chaos. However, this report can be vital.
When the Fort Worth Police Department responds to an accident, they will typically create a report. A Fort Worth Police Department accident report will include:
- Personal information about the parties involved;
- The date and time of the accident;
- Statements from witnesses and parties;
- Information about damages and injuries;
- A diagram of the accident; and
- The officer’s report and thoughts about the accident.
How Do I Obtain Fort Worth Police Reports?
Your Fort Worth accident report will likely be filed with the Texas Department of Transportation. The process of obtaining a police report can be confusing and overwhelming for some people.
Consequently, they never get their accident reports. Ignoring your police report could negatively impact your case. As mentioned above, these reports have crucial information about the accident.
The Importance of Getting Your Fort Worth, TX Accident Report
We cannot overstate the importance of these reports. An accident report in Fort Worth could show who is at fault in an accident. It may also have information about who was involved and what damage occurred.
In court, an accident report is often used as evidence. You may want to use it to support your injury claims. The report might also give you insight into the officer’s thoughts on the accident and if they believe you were at fault.
It is good to know about this beforehand to avoid an unwelcome surprise down the road.
What If a Police Officer Was Not Present?
After an accident, you will need to depend on law enforcement officers, such as the Fort Worth police, for an accident report. If an officer did not respond to the accident, then there will not be an accident report.
If there is not a report, you may need to document the accident as well as you can on your own. Some things you can do to document the accident include:
- Take pictures of the damage;
- Collect information from possible witnesses and parties;
- Keep any medical records you have related to the accident; and
- Describe the accident in as much detail as you can in writing when you get home.
You should consider these steps whether or not you file a report. For a personal injury claim, you need more than a Fort Worth accident report.
Providing your own evidence will help supplement the report itself.
Obtain Your Fort Worth Accident Report for Free
Getting your Fort Worth accident report can seem extremely difficult. Perhaps you do not even want to bother with it. At Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP, we want to make it easier for you. We will get the police reports for you, free of charge.
If you have been involved in a car accident, getting a report from a government agency is the last thing you want to do. Because we handle personal injury claims often, we are used to obtaining these reports.
Contact us today for your free consultation and a free Fort Worth accident report.
C.J. Baker represents victims with serious injuries and has won millions of dollars for victims of 18-wheeler crashes, oilfield equipment failures, offshore platform explosions, and defective medical devices. C.J. graduated summa cum laude from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2016. He was an editor of the Texas Tech Law Review and a top national trial and moot-court advocate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely nothing. At Armstrong Lee & Baker LLP, our attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. This means that you owe us nothing unless we win your case, whether that’s in the form of a settlement or a judgment. We offer a free consultation to anyone who thinks they might have a personal injury case.
We suggest speaking with an attorney as soon as possible after your injury. Something to keep in mind is that all personal injury cases need evidence, and that evidence often degrades over time. As a result, many jurisdictions have a strict statute of limitations (or time limit) for filing a claim. In Texas, most victims have only two years from the date of injury to file, so it is important to start building your case immediately.
In the state of Texas, employers have the option of filing for workers’ compensation insurance. This policy covers them in case an employee suffers an injury on the job. However, some employers choose to be non-subscribers, which means they opt out of this coverage and lose certain legal protections. This means that if an injured employee sues them after a work injury, they may end up paying more damages. In addition, they may be liable for pain and suffering, punitive damages, and medical benefits. Learn more about non-subscriber injuries here.
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) keeps track of employers that report their non-subscriber status. Currently, you can find a spreadsheet of every reported non-subscriber business in Texas under TDI’s workers’ compensation insurance coverage verification page. This includes the business address, business name, and filing dates. Learn more here.
There are a few different ways to manage your bills while waiting for your case to settle. For medical treatment, it is common to arrange a lien with the doctor’s office or hospital. A medical lien is essentially an agreement to pay back your treatment costs with a portion of your potential settlement. Another option for miscellaneous bills, such as rent, utilities, or other essential expenses, is lawsuit funding. Much like a lien, you pay these loans back with a portion of your settlement or judgment. However, these loans have high interest rates and fees, so be sure to discuss this option with your attorney.