How to Get an Accident Report in Connecticut
Car accidents are a serious public safety problem in Connecticut.
According to data from the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CT DOT), there were 111,497 motor vehicle accidents reported to authorities in the year 2015 alone. Altogether, these crashes resulted in at least 36,001 injuries, many of which were severe.
If you were involved in a serious car accident in Connecticut, you need to take action to protect your legal rights and financial interests.
You may be entitled to compensation through a car accident injury claim.
To ensure that you are able to get the full amount you deserve, you must carefully gather all evidence related to your case.
Among other things, you should get your hands on a copy of the official Connecticut accident report.
Where to Get an Accident Report in Connecticut
In Connecticut, auto accident reports are written and retained by many different law enforcement agencies.
Depending on the specific circumstances and location of your accident, you may need to get it from either Connecticut State Police or from your local police department in the jurisdiction where the accident occurred.
Get a Car Accident Report from the State of Connecticut
The Connecticut State Police Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection provides access to two different types of accident reports.
To start, you can obtain a preliminary copy of the Accident Information Summary. This can be obtained for free.
To get it you will simply need to input some basic information regarding your crash. To be clear, this is not the official accident report. However, it can be useful for informational purposes, most notably to make sure that the state actually has your accident report on file.
To get your official accident report from Connecticut State Police, you have two options:
- You may obtain the CT accident report from BuyCrash.com. This is a LexisNexis service that typically posts Connecticut accident reports within ten days of a crash.
- Or, you can request a hard copy by mailing in form DPS-96-C “Request for Copy of Report”. There is a $16 fee that must be paid to get a certified report.
Get a Car Accident Report from a Local Police Department
Beyond the Connecticut State Police, you may also be able to obtain your accident report from a local law enforcement agency.
For example, you may need to make the request with the West Hartford Police Department or with another local law enforcement agency. Local police departments all have their own record keeping systems and procedures.
However, many of these systems are quite similar and many departments use the LexisNexis system in order to put car accident reports online.
Contact Our Connecticut Car Accident Attorneys Today
At StangerLaw LLC, our auto accident attorneys can help you seek compensation if you’ve been injured by a negligent driver.
If you or a loved one was injured in a crash in Connecticut, please do not hesitate to reach out to our law firm today to schedule an immediate case review. Call us at (860) 254-6121. We can help.
If you hire us to represent you, don’t worry about getting the report. We can do it for you.
