If you were hurt in a car accident, the insurance companies may want to see the police report. They can usually get this on their own – and your lawyers can help you obtain a copy – but you might be interested in having a copy for your own records.
To get a copy of your police report, you can go online to the Illinois State Police website. They allow you to submit a request online, and they also have instructions for getting a request by mail. In either case, the ISP report is going to be redacted unless you also supply a subpoena signed by a judge and a $20 processing fee. Orland Park also works with BuyCrash from LexisNexis to make police reports available through their system
Call (219) 322-1166 for a free case evaluation with the Orland Park car accident lawyers at Wruck Paupore.
How Do You Get a Police Report Online in Orland Park?
The Illinois State Police provides copies of police reports online, but the Orland Park police department also partners with BuyCrash to provide copies of crash reports to the public.
ISP Report
The ISP hosts reports on its web portal. You can obtain these by submitting some basic information about who you are and the crash you are looking for. This copy of the report costs $5, but it has one major flaw: it is a redacted copy.
You cannot get a full, unredacted copy through the ISP without submitting a subpoena or other order from a judge and paying $20.
BuyCrash
BuyCrash is a part of LexisNexis, and they host police reports for police departments all over the country. Using this system is a common way to get police reports, and the Orland Park PD specifically lists it as an option on their website.
For a reasonable fee, BuyCrash gives you a digital copy of the report, and you can print it or send copies as you like.
Can You Get a Police Report by Mail?
The ISP also lets you get a copy of the report by mail. You can learn from their website what information you need to send and the address to mail the request to.
Again, this costs $5 and provides a redacted copy of the report.
How Do You Get a Subpoena for a Police Report?
To get a full, unredacted copy of the police report, you need to send a subpoena signed by a judge or another request from the judge. Our Tinley Park, IL personal injury lawyers can obtain a full copy of the report by doing this as part of your case.
There is usually no need for you to go to this trouble on your own.
Can You Submit a FOIA Request to Get a Car Crash Report?
FOIA requests can also be made with the police department to get a copy of a police report their officer prepared. But, like with sending a subpoena, this is often too much of a hassle for an injured car accident victim to worry about on their own. Let our Chicago, IL car accident lawyers obtain a copy of the report for you.
Do You Need to Get a Copy of Your Police Report After a Crash?
You usually do not need to get a copy of the report on your own. There is little reason for you to have a copy, unless you want it for your own records. Anyone who might rely on the report can get a copy on their own.
Insurance Can Get it On Their Own
When you submit an insurance claim, the insurance company likely wants to see a copy of the report. If you are filing with the defendant’s insurance, you should be working with a lawyer, first of all, not trying to work this out on your own.
The insurance company may demand you send them a copy of the report, but they are perfectly capable of getting it themselves in most cases. The fact that they are an agent of a driver involved in the crash gives them access.
Your Lawyer Can Obtain a Copy
Your lawyer can also obtain a copy. This is often part of the service we provide our clients, by obtaining a copy for them as part of our investigation of their case. This can help us find facts and evidence we might not have had before.
But still, there is no need for you to come to us with the report; we can get it for you.
Can You Introduce a Police Report as Evidence in Illinois?
Generally, you cannot get the police report admitted as evidence. This report is hearsay, in that it is a statement made out of court, offered in court for the truth of the matter asserted in the statements. For example, if the report says you hit a pole, and you offer it as proof that you hit a pole, it cannot be admitted.
Instead, we should get the officer to come in and testify. Even so, we can still use the report to impeach witnesses with prior statements that are inconsistent or let them read it on the stand to refresh their recollection of what happened.
What is in a Police Report for a Car Crash?
Police reports generally contain a few important bits of information:
- Info about who was involved, what vehicles were involved, etc.
- Info about when and where the crash took place, including notes on lighting, weather, etc.
- A diagram of the accident prepared by the officer.
- The officer’s “narrative” portion of the report, explaining (based on secondhand information) what they learned happened in the crash.
What is the Difference Between a Police Report and a Crash Report?
People often use these phrases interchangeably. Technically, a “police report” is the report an officer submits when investigating a crime, and a report submitted for a crash is more properly called a “crash report.”
Either way, our lawyers can help you find the correct report for your case.
Call Our Orland Park Car Accident Lawyers Today
Call Wruck Paupore’s Evanston, IL car accident lawyers at (219) 322-1166 for help with your case.
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