How to Get a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report After a Car or Truck Accident in Dallas-Fort Worth

If you were injured in a car accident, 18-wheeler crash, truck wreck, motorcycle collision, rideshare accident, or multi-vehicle crash in Dallas-Fort Worth, one of the first documents you may need is the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report. This report is often called a Texas crash report, CR-3 report, police accident report, or car accident report.

For injured people and families, the crash report can be an important first step in an insurance claim or personal injury case. It may identify the drivers, vehicles, insurance companies, crash location, contributing factors, citations, witnesses, injuries, and the investigating officer’s description of what happened.

At The Wooley Law Firm, we help people injured in car wrecks and truck accidents across Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Irving, Garland, Mesquite, Frisco, McKinney, Denton, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, Richardson, Lewisville, Grapevine, and throughout the DFW metroplex. We can help you obtain your crash report, investigate the wreck, deal with the insurance companies, and pursue the compensation you may be entitled to recover.

What Is a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report?

A Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report is the official crash report prepared by law enforcement after investigating a motor vehicle accident. In Texas, this report is commonly known as the CR-3 crash report.

After a serious collision, the report may be prepared by:

• Dallas Police Department

• Fort Worth Police Department

• Arlington Police Department

• Plano Police Department

• Irving Police Department

• Garland Police Department

• Mesquite Police Department

• Frisco Police Department

• McKinney Police Department

• Denton Police Department

• Texas Department of Public Safety

• Dallas County Sheriff’s Office

• Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office

• Collin County Sheriff’s Office

• Denton County Sheriff’s Office

• Another local police department in the Dallas-Fort Worth area

The report can be especially important after a serious injury crash, commercial truck accident, 18-wheeler wreck, fatal collision, hit-and-run crash, drunk driving accident, distracted driving crash, rear-end collision, intersection crash, highway wreck, or chain-reaction accident.

Why the Crash Report Matters After a Dallas-Fort Worth Car or Truck Wreck

Insurance companies often look at the crash report early in the claim process. The report may affect how the insurance adjuster evaluates fault, liability, damages, and settlement value.

A Texas crash report may include:

• Names of the drivers involved

• Vehicle and insurance information

• Crash date, time, and location

• Roadway, weather, and lighting conditions

• Diagrams of the collision

• Officer narrative

• Contributing factors

• Citations issued

• Witness information

• Injury information

• Whether alcohol, drugs, speeding, distracted driving, unsafe lane changes, failure to yield, or following too closely may have contributed to the wreck

But the crash report is not the entire case. Police officers usually arrive after the wreck has already happened. They may not have access to all video footage, witness statements, black box data, phone records, trucking company documents, medical records, or expert accident reconstruction evidence.

That is why an injured person should not rely only on the police report. A lawyer can review the crash report, identify problems, and investigate what really happened.

How to Get a Texas Crash Report After a Car Accident in Dallas-Fort Worth

If you were involved in a wreck in Dallas-Fort Worth, you may be able to request the crash report online, by mail, or through the investigating law enforcement agency.

1. Request the Crash Report Through TxDOT

The Texas Department of Transportation maintains crash reports for accidents investigated by Texas peace officers. Many reports can be purchased through TxDOT’s online crash report system.

You can request a Texas crash report through the TxDOT Crash Report Online Purchase System.

To search for your report, you may need information such as:

• Date of the crash

• Location of the wreck

• Name of a driver or person involved

• City or county where the crash happened

• Vehicle identification number

• Crash report number

• Police service number or incident number

Crash reports are not always available immediately. It may take up to fourteen days for the crash report to be available.

2. Request the Report From the Police Department or Sheriff’s Office

You may also be able to request the accident report from the law enforcement agency that investigated the crash.

For example:

• If the wreck happened in Dallas, the Dallas Police Department may have the report.

• If the crash happened in Fort Worth, the Fort Worth Police Department may have the report.

• If the wreck happened in Dallas County but outside a city’s jurisdiction, or in an area handled by county law enforcement, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office may have investigated the crash.

• If the collision happened outside city limits in Tarrant County, or in an area handled by county law enforcement, the Tarrant County Sheriff’s Office may have the report.

• If the wreck happened on a highway, interstate, service road, or rural roadway, a Texas DPS trooper may have investigated.

• If the crash happened in or near a surrounding city, such as Garland, Mesquite, Irving, Richardson, Grand Prairie, Carrollton, or another Dallas-Fort Worth city, that city’s police department may have investigated the wreck.

If you do not know which agency investigated the crash, an attorney can help determine where the report is located.

3. Request the Report by Mail or In Person

Some law enforcement agencies allow crash reports to be requested by mail or in person. You may need to provide:

• Your name

• Date of the accident

• Crash location

• Name of another driver involved

• Police report number, if available

• Proof that you are entitled to receive the report

An attorney can also request the report on behalf of an injured client.

Who Can Get a Texas CR-3 Crash Report?

Texas crash reports are not available to everyone without restriction. Generally, a person requesting the report must have a proper connection to the accident.

People who may be able to obtain a Texas crash report include:

• A driver involved in the wreck

• A passenger injured in the crash

• The owner of a damaged vehicle

• A person injured in the collision

• A parent or legal guardian of an involved person

• An employer of an involved driver

• An insurance company connected to the crash

• A person who may bring a wrongful death claim

• An attorney representing someone involved in the accident

If you were injured in a car or truck wreck, The Wooley Law Firm can help request and review your crash report.

What If the Police Report Blames You for the Accident?

Sometimes crash reports are incomplete or wrong. This can be a serious problem when an insurance company tries to use the report against you.

A crash report may contain mistakes about:

• How the wreck happened

• Which driver had the right of way

• Whether a driver was speeding

• Whether a driver was distracted

• Whether a commercial truck driver violated safety rules

• Whether a driver ran a red light or stop sign

• Whether unsafe lane changes caused the crash

• Whether a rear-end crash involved sudden stopping or multiple impacts

• Whether a witness was interviewed

• Whether injuries were properly documented

If the police report is wrong, you should speak with a personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney may be able to gather additional evidence, speak with witnesses, request video footage, consult experts, and challenge the insurance company’s version of events.

Why You Need More Than a Crash Report After a Truck Accident

Truck accident cases are often more complex than ordinary car accident claims. A crash involving an 18-wheeler, semi-truck, tractor-trailer, delivery truck, commercial van, dump truck, box truck, or company vehicle may involve multiple responsible parties.

Potentially responsible parties may include:

• The truck driver

• The trucking company

• The truck owner

• A trailer owner

• A freight broker

• A maintenance company

• A loading company

• A parts manufacturer

• Another negligent driver

Important evidence in a Texas truck accident case may include:

• Driver qualification files

• Hours-of-service records

• Electronic logging device data

• Black box or event data recorder information

• Dispatch records

• Maintenance and inspection records

• Drug and alcohol testing records

• Dash camera footage

• Cargo loading records

• Safety policies and training materials

• Cell phone records

• Prior crash or violation history

This evidence can disappear quickly. Trucking companies and insurance carriers may begin defending the case immediately. If you were injured in a truck wreck in Dallas-Fort Worth, it is important to act quickly to preserve evidence.

How a Dallas-Fort Worth Car Accident Lawyer Can Help

After a serious car or truck accident, an attorney can protect your claim and fight for the compensation you deserve.

A Lawyer Can Obtain and Analyze the Crash Report

A personal injury attorney can request the Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report, review the officer’s findings, explain the codes and contributing factors, and determine whether the report supports or hurts your claim.

A Lawyer Can Investigate the Cause of the Wreck

The police report may only tell part of the story. An attorney can investigate whether the wreck was caused by:

• Speeding

• Distracted driving

• Drunk driving

• Drug impairment

• Driver fatigue

• Tailgating

• Unsafe lane changes

• Failure to yield

• Running a red light

• Running a stop sign

• Reckless driving

• Aggressive driving

• Unsafe turns

• Defective vehicle parts

• Poor truck maintenance

• Negligent hiring or training

• Overloaded cargo

• Dangerous road conditions

A Lawyer Can Preserve Critical Evidence

Evidence can be lost, deleted, repaired, destroyed, or overwritten. A car accident lawyer can send preservation letters, request video footage, inspect the vehicles, locate witnesses, and work to protect the evidence needed to prove your case.

A Lawyer Can Deal With the Insurance Companies

Insurance companies are not on your side. Adjusters may try to get you to give a recorded statement, sign broad medical authorizations, accept blame, downplay your injuries, or settle before you know the full value of your case.

An attorney can handle communications with the insurance companies, protect you from unfair tactics, and fight for a full and fair recovery.

A Lawyer Can Help Prove Your Damages

After a serious wreck, compensation may include more than emergency room bills or vehicle damage. Depending on the facts, an injured person may be able to pursue compensation for:

• Past medical expenses

• Future medical care

• Surgery

• Physical therapy

• Lost wages

• Loss of earning capacity

• Pain and suffering

• Mental anguish

• Physical impairment

• Disfigurement

• Loss of enjoyment of life

• Property damage

• Out-of-pocket expenses

In fatal car and truck crash cases, surviving family members may be able to pursue wrongful death and survival claims.

A Lawyer Can File a Lawsuit If the Insurance Company Refuses to Be Fair

Many injury claims settle, but not every insurance company makes a fair offer. When necessary, an attorney can file a lawsuit, conduct discovery, take depositions, hire experts, and prepare the case for trial.

Injured in a Dallas-Fort Worth Car or Truck Wreck? Call The Wooley Law Firm.

If you were injured in a Dallas car accident, Fort Worth truck wreck, 18-wheeler crash, highway collision, rideshare accident, motorcycle wreck, or multi-vehicle crash anywhere in the DFW metroplex, a Texas Peace Officer’s Crash Report may be an important first step.

But the crash report is only the beginning.

The Wooley Law Firm can help you obtain the report, investigate the wreck, preserve evidence, deal with the insurance companies, and pursue compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, lost wages, mental anguish, impairment, and other damages.

Call (214) 699-6524 for a free consultation. You don’t pay unless we win. Contact Us Today!