How do I get an accident report?
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident in Kentucky, other than finding a good attorney to help you, one of the most important things you need to do is get a copy of the accident report. This blog entry will help you understand how to get it. A future entry will help you understand why having the accident report is so important.
How do I get a copy of the report? First, in order to get the report you must have a couple pieces of information. The information you need depends on what your relation to the accident is.
If you are unfortunate enough to be one of the people who was involved in the accident, then you should have been given a card by the police officer who responded to the accident with a Police Accident Report Number on it. The number will start with 8008, 8009, or a similar number, followed by six additional digits.
If you were not involved in the accident or cannot find the Report Number, you must have the date and location of the accident as well as the last name of one of the people involved in the accident. These requirements are not there to make it difficult for you to get a copy of the report. They are actually there to protect your privacy if you are involved in an accident from people who are seeking to solicit you as a customer or client, a practice that is illegal and unethical.
Once you have this information, there are basically three ways to get a copy of the accident report. The most foolproof way to get a copy of the report is to travel to the local government center at 768 Barrett Avenue in the Highlands neighborhood. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. You can call them at (502) 574-2050 or (502) 574-7064 for directions. You can also mail a request to 768 Barrett Avenue, Louisville, Kentucky 40204 with payment of $.10 per page along with a self-addressed, pre-stamped return envelope. Finally, the most convenient form of access is through a new on-line web service that allows you to download or e-mail the report to yourself. This service costs $5.00 per report, payable by most major credit cards, and is very user friendly. The website for on-line reports is http://louisvilleky.policereports.us/.
Remember that it often takes up to seven business days from the date of the accident until the report is ready, and can even take up to ten days. Always call the police department first (at the numbers above) to make sure that the report it ready prior to trying to get a copy of it.
If you are involved in an accident, and there is any property damage whatsoever, always call 911 and demand that the police send out a unit to make a report. Once the police get to the accident scene, demand that they draft a report. You cannot take for granted that the police will do this. It is better to be safe than sorry. You may only need the report to take care of your property damage. However, even if you are not feeling any pain or discomfort right after the accident, that does not mean that you were not injured in the accident. Your body may still be in some shock from the accident itself and may not recognize that it has been injured. It may be several days before you realize that you are in enough pain to need medical treatment and, possibly, the assistance of a lawyer.
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident in Kentucky and need help getting a copy of your police report or representation from an attorney, call the attorneys at Bahe Cook Cantely & Jones PLC for assistance.
