If you are involved in a car accident in Brownsville, TX, you should promptly report it to local police by phoning 911. Texas law enforcement officials are required to report motor vehicle accidents that result in injury, death, or damage to property or vehicles exceeding $1,000. The $1,000 threshold for vehicle damage is a low bar, and you can expect the police to respond to all but the most minor fender benders.
You will need the police report if you want to seek repayment of your medical expenses or car repairs through a claim against the at-fault driver’s insurance. The police report has basic information about who and what vehicles were involved in a crash. It typically will not state whether one driver or the other was at fault. However, it documents what happened, which makes it important evidence in a car accident claim.
The Brownsville car accident lawyers of Herrman & Herrman P.L.C.C. help individuals and families seek the compensation they are due after being injured in car crashes caused by other drivers. Insurance companies often balk at making fair payouts. The injured driver, passenger, pedestrian, or bicyclist must be able to prove who was at fault, how badly they were injured, and what the injuries have cost them if they are to obtain justice. This starts with the police report filed where the accident occurred, such as here in Brownsville.
What Goes into a Brownsville Car Accident Report
After a car accident in Brownsville, if you are able to, you should call 911 and summon police and, if necessary, an ambulance. If you need emergency medical care, that takes priority. But, if you can, you should cooperate with police who arrive to investigate the car accident.
When police investigate a car accident, they are mainly there to record basic information about the crash. They will make sure the injured are assisted, make an arrest if warranted, such as in a drunk driving accident, and ensure that vehicles and debris are removed from the crash scene.
The report that Brownsville police and other law enforcement agencies in Texas file after a car accident includes such information as:
- Date, time, and address/location of the crash.
- Names, contact information, driver’s license numbers, and insurance information of drivers. Names and contact information for others involved.
- Make, model, and license plate number of vehicles involved.
- Descriptions of any injuries and property damage caused by the accident.
- Disposition of people injured or killed.
- Where and by whom vehicles were towed from the crash scene.
- The officer’s description of what happened.
- Factors and conditions the officer think may have contributed to the crash.
- Potential causes of the accident and any tickets issued or charges to be filed. The police report will show the results of sobriety tests.
If you are questioned by police investigating a car accident, you should answer honestly and factually. Do not express opinions, and do not blame the other driver or yourself for the accident. Do not accept blame.
If you file an insurance claim over the losses you suffer in the accident, the insurance companies will request a copy of the police report. If there is a dispute as to who was at fault for the accident, the police report will be the first official source of evidence for each side.
Obtaining a Police Car Accident Report in Brownsville
The Brownsville Police Department’s Records Division will provide a car accident report within about 10 business days of receiving a request via email, fax, or postal mail.
Your request should include:
- Traffic accident report and date of the accident.
- Names of persons involved in the accident.
- Name of person or business requesting the information.
- Address of person requesting the information.
- Date of birth of person requesting the information.
- How you want to receive the information (by email, fax, or mail).
The email address is bpd.accidents@cob.us.
The fax number is (956) 548-7115.
The mailing address is:
Records Division
600 E Jackson St.
Brownsville, TX 78520
If you have questions about your request, phone the Records Division at (956) 548-7117 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Reporting Minor Accidents and Hit-and-Run Accidents in Brownsville
The Brownsville Police Department’s Online Citizens’ Police Reporting system allows you to submit a report about many non-emergency issues and print a copy of the police report for free. This includes accidents within the Brownsville City limits in which your car sustained minor damage and accidents involving a second automobile that left the accident scene without leaving required information (i.e., a hit and run) – as long as no one was injured.
After using the online process, you will:
- Be issued a temporary case number while your report is under review.
- Be able to print a copy of your temporary police report while approval is pending.
- Be emailed a permanent police report case number once your report is approved.
- Be able to print a copy of the approved police report for your records.
How a Brownsville Car Accident Lawyer Can Help
Auto insurance providers make a profit by collecting more in insurance premiums than they pay out in claims, especially expensive claims that follow serious accidents. When an insurance adjuster handles a claim, the adjuster has records of what the company has paid for similar accidents and injuries. The adjuster knows the maximum the insurance company will offer you before even contacting you. In other words, an initial settlement offer has little to do with your actual costs and losses.
The insurance company is counting on you being unable to assess the full financial impact the accident will have on you. The insurer wants to take advantage of your situation. If the claims adjuster says the driver was not at fault, how will you prove them wrong? They don’t expect you to be able to fight back.
But our experienced Brownsville car accident lawyers will fight back on your behalf.
We’ll gather evidence that shows who is responsible for the car accident. We’ll calculate your full costs and losses and demand maximum compensation for you. We’ll negotiate aggressively for a fair settlement or be ready to take your case to court if we must.
We can offer you our 100+ years of combined legal experience as accident attorneys and will work for you on a contingency fee basis. We won’t charge a legal fee unless we recover money for you.
Contact a Brownsville car crash injury lawyer at (361) 882-4357 as soon as possible if you’ve been injured in a crash that was someone else’s fault. We’ll help you get your police report and get to work for you.
