Securing a comprehensive official accident Report should be a top priority following any commercial truck collision causing harm in Texas. However, crash victims often struggle to navigate different agencies to collect full documentation regarding the accident.
By retaining our El Paso truck accident attorneys at Cesar Ornelas Injury Law right away to pursue complete commercial motor vehicle crash documentation on your behalf, El Paso accident victims strengthen their path to full compensation.
Why Texas Truck Accident Reports Matter
Authorities produce official documentation of commercial motor vehicle (CMV) crashes for insurance claim validation and possible criminal charges against violators. These vital reports chronicle critical evidence like:
- Truck and car driver identities
- Insurance details
- Eyewitness observations
- Vehicle defects like worn tires or broken lights
- Environmental conditions
- Diagrams mapping vehicle positions and damage
Such thorough early truck accident scene details get increasingly scarce over time. So, victims should act urgently to gather report copies rather than waiting on insurers. However, navigating procedures presents pitfalls without guidance.
How to Request a Texas Truck Crash Accident Report
If involved in a truck accident in El Paso, the first thing to do is report the truck accident to the local authorities. The Texas Transportation Code requires you to report to the Sheriff’s department or police department if the accident you’re involved in resulted in damage, death, or injury.
Multiple agencies, depending on the specifics of your truck collision, produce reports including:
- Local Police – Municipal law enforcement responds to most truck crashes, describing vehicles by make/model and recording basic details. Victims can visit their local station or file public records requests to secure a Basic Crash Report copy for minor administrative fees, typically after a few weeks. But such reports lack full depth. The investigating police officer has ten days to submit the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report, or “CR-3,” as it is referred to the Texas Department of Transportation. The parties involved in the truck crash in Texas can request a copy of the report.
- Texas DPS – Crashes meeting disaster response thresholds or involving hazardous commercial vehicle leaks fall under Texas Department of Public Safety investigative jurisdiction. Their detailed reports require submitting Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Reports Requests to the DPS Records and Information Center.
- FMCSA – For qualifying major harm CMV wrecks, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration documents stringent evidence like driver logs and training records from involved national truck fleets. But securing release remains complex, benefitting from attorney assistance.
You can get a police report on a truck accident you were in for $6 from the Texas Department of Transportation. They collect all crash reports from police across the state. People involved in the crash, their insurers, or wrongful death heirs can request reports. News outlets or police agencies can also access them. Forms to mail in a report request are online.
Contact Cesar Ornelas Injury Law About Your El Paso Truck Accident
Has an El Paso truck crash caused injury to you or a loved one? Before time degrades evidence, contact us at Cesar Ornelas Injury Law to demand all essential reports for building your legal case. We provide free consultations statewide.
The post How to get an accident report in a commercial truck crash in Texas? appeared first on Cesar Ornelas Injury Law.
