Getting into a car crash can feel like a major setback. Your ability to recover quickly depends on having an accident report available as soon as possible. This document will be important for your insurance claim, but also possibly for your attorney or even the court, should a legal battle ensue.
Immediately after a crash, you’re going to want sharp legal representation as well as a clear accident report to settle insurance claims and possible disputes.
The Importance of Police Reports in Washington Injury Claims
There are two possible sources for an acceptable Washington accident/collision report:
- the Washington State Police (WSP), and
- the local police where the accident occurred.
A traffic collision report is a clear third-party account of what happened. This makes the report highly persuasive when parties to an accident disagree over who is responsible. This report counts as insurance claim evidence in Washington State, and when necessary, attorneys use it to build cases.
The WSP collision report establishes facts and fault in an accident. This is important because Washington is an at-fault state when it comes to automobile crashes.
How to Request Your Report From the Washington State Patrol
In Washington State, it can take anywhere from two to four weeks to generate an official accident report. Law enforcement officers need time to gather all the facts, complete their investigation, and draft the paperwork. Next, the report awaits supervisory approval before it can become publicly available.
Once your accident/collision report is approved and in the system, you and the other parties in the accident will have access to it. You can request your report:
- Online
- By mail, or
- In person at a Collision Records Section office
To obtain your records online:
- Go to the Washington Requests for Electronic Collision Report (WRECR) system.
- Do your WSP collision report search by date, location, or report number
- Verify your eligibility in the authorization section
- Pay the mandatory $10.50 fee
- Download your certified copy of the report
To receive your Washington State Police (WSP) collision report by mail:
- Fill out and then download the Request for Copy of Collision Report PDF
- Print your PDF (you can print it before filling it out, if you like)
- Make out a check or money order for $10.50 to: Washington State Patrol
- Put your PDF and check/money order in an envelope
- Mail it to Washington State Patrol, Collision Records Section, P.O. Box 42628, Olympia, WA 98504-2628
To request your accident/collision report in person, you can
- visit your local police department,
- visit the county sheriff’s office in the county where the accident took place, or
- visit the Washington State Patrol (WSP) Collisions Records Section in Olympia, WA at 106 11th Avenue SW, Suite 1300
Information Required to Locate Your Washington Accident Report
The request for your report will go a lot more smoothly if you have the following information close at hand:
- date, time, and location of the crash
- full names of all involved parties
- the collision report number or case number (if given at the scene)
- license plate numbers of all involved vehicles
It can also be more expedient to have the responding police officer or trooper’s name or badge number. However, this information is not required.
Access to Washington Collision Reports
Only authorized persons are allowed access to police traffic collision reports in Washington.
These typically are:
- drivers and passengers involved in the accident,
- vehicle owners,
- attorneys of record,
- insurers for parties with a claim interest, and
- certain government agencies.
Correcting an Inaccurate Washington Accident Report
Nobody’s perfect. There are extremely rare occasions when information in a WSP or police traffic collision report will be inaccurate. It could be something as minor as a digit in a license plate number, or it could be information that affects who gets assigned fault for the crash.
Though you have access to an accident report, you cannot make changes to it. Amending a police report in Washington requires going through proper channels.
You can contact the reporting officer or their division office to request a supplemental report. You can also submit a written statement to the agency and to your insurance carrier, disputing specific facts in the report.
And of course, you can work through your lawyer to address and correct collision report inaccuracies, especially those affecting your insurance claim or legal proceedings.
Contact Your Seattle Car Accident Attorney
When you’re trying to get your life back on track after a car crash, it can be daunting enough just trying to recover from your injuries and manage day-to-day affairs.
If you’re feeling frustrated or overwhelmed, the law offices of Justin R. Boland, PLLC, can help with your claim.
