In Colorado, drivers are required to report car accidents to authorities if they result in injury, death, or property damage, according to Colorado Revised Statutes, Section 42-4-1606. There are several ways you can make a police report, depending on the severity of the accident. While reporting a crash is required by law, it is also an essential step toward obtaining compensation for the damages you are entitled to after a crash.
So how do you file a police report after a Colorado car accident? There are several ways to report the accident, including the following.
- Calling 911 – this should be the first thing you do after a car accident if anyone is showing signs of car accident injuries. Calling 911 will get emergency responders dispatched to the scene, and police will likely respond as well to investigate the accident and file a report.
- Calling The Non-Emergency Line – if the accident does not result in an emergency, you can report the accident by calling the non-emergency line.
- Online – if the crash was minor, meaning, no one left the scene of the accident, there were no injuries that required immediate medical attention, there was no suspicion of driving under the influence, and no public property was damaged, then you may not need police to respond to the scene. In this case, you may file a report online after the fact by providing information about the accident, such as the time and place it occurred.
- By Mail – if the crash was minor, as explained above, and you don’t want to report it online, you may print the report form and send it in by mail.
It is important to note that by reporting by mail or online, you are only creating an unofficial report of the crash. This is because you’re reporting the crash through your own version of events. Because of this, if the accident is severe and you think you may want to pursue compensation, then opting for an official report may be a good idea. Official reports hold more weight with insurance companies as police officers are trained to investigate accidents thoroughly.
How Can Filing A Police Report Help Me?
Filing an official police report can be helpful if you choose to file a claim for compensation due to damages sustained in the crash. In order to be eligible for third-party insurance benefits, crash victims must be able to prove the other driver was at fault, and an official police report can help do this.
If the car accident involved any of the following, it is in your best interest to file an official report:
- Soft tissue injuries like whiplash
- Broken bones
- Concussions
- Property damage
- Public property damage
- Drunken or drugged driving
Filing an official police report gives insurance companies vital information needed to investigate the crash and determine fault so they can decide if you are eligible for financial benefits. The information included in police reports may cover:
- The names and information of all drivers and passengers involved
- The date, time, and location of the incident
- Names and contacts of any witnesses
- The direction and speed in which the involved vehicles were traveling
- Photographs of the official crash site
- Descriptions of vehicle damage and injuries
- Any traffic infractions committed by any of the involved drivers
- Observations and opinions of fault from the reporting police officer(s)
If the car accident left you with injuries, let our Denver personal injury lawyers help you with your claim.