Your life changed in an instant when you were seriously injured in a traffic accident. Now you're dealing with frequent doctor visits, rising medical bills, and insurance company calls. You deserve compensation for your losses, and you’ll need your Indiana crash report to get started.
This official police report is the primary record insurance companies use to assign fault and calculate settlements. Understanding how to obtain and interpret this document can mean the difference between a fair settlement and one that leaves you struggling to pay bills. At Keller & Keller, our Indiana car accident attorneys help accident victims throughout Indiana use their crash reports to secure proper compensation.
Table of Contents
Why Your Indiana Crash Report Matters
An Indiana crash report is the official police documentation insurance companies use to determine who pays for your injuries. Created by the responding officer at the accident scene, this three-page document captures critical details that directly impact your compensation.
The crash report includes everything from basic facts like date, time, and location to more subjective assessments like contributing factors and fault assignments. These details matter to seriously injured victims throughout Indiana because insurance adjusters rely heavily on crash reports when calculating settlement offers.
Your crash report contains five main sections:
- Basic accident information and injury severity
- Contributing factors (where fault gets assigned)
- All parties involved, including crucial witness information
- Documented injuries and property damage
- The officer's narrative of how the accident happened
Each section plays a role, but Sections 2 and 5 are most important in determining compensation. Even minor errors in these sections can cost you thousands of dollars.
How to Get Your Indiana Crash Report
All Indiana crash reports are stored in a centralized system for easy access. They’re typically available within seven to ten business days, but may take longer for serious accidents. Whether Indianapolis Metropolitan Police, Indiana State Police, or local law enforcement investigated your accident, you can get your report from the same website.
Visit BuyCrash.com and select Indiana, then the jurisdiction where the accident occurred. You can search using your crash report number if the officer provided it. Or, use your last name and the accident date or location street. After paying the $12 fee, you’ll get immediate access.
In-person requests depend on where the accident happened. You may need to visit your local jurisdiction's website or call their offices. In Indianapolis, visit the Marion County Clerk's office at 50 N. Alabama Street, Room E100. Bring valid identification and provide the accident date, time, and location (and, if possible, the investigating officer's name). They're open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Getting Your Crash Report Number
An officer at the accident scene should have given you their name and a crash report number, but you won’t need this to access your online report. If you still need your crash report number, Indianapolis accident victims can call 317-327-3811 (or dial 311 from any cellphone). For state police investigations, contact the specific post that handled your accident. For other jurisdictions, contact the police department where the accident occurred.
Mistakes That Jeopardize Your Indiana Injury Claim
Many accident victims unknowingly damage their cases through simple errors. Our Indiana injury lawyers often see these common mistakes:
- At the accident scene. Never admit fault or apologize. Statements like "I'm sorry" or "I didn't see you" appear in crash reports and become ammunition for insurance companies. Stick to facts when speaking with officers.
- After the accident. Accepting quick settlement offers based solely on the crash report often means leaving money on the table. Insurance adjusters push for fast settlements before you understand the full extent of your injuries.
- During recovery. Delaying medical treatment or having gaps in care gives insurance companies reason to minimize your injuries. They'll argue you weren't hurt if you didn't seek immediate treatment.
How Fault Impacts Your Compensation
Even if you know you were not to blame for the accident, the crash report may indicate you were at least partially at fault. Indiana follows a modified comparative negligence system that directly impacts how crash reports influence your compensation. Under this law, you can recover damages if you're less than 51 percent at fault for the accident. However, your compensation is reduced by your percentage of fault.
For example, if your total damages equal $100,000 but the crash report suggests you're 30 percent at fault, you'd receive $70,000. This makes the contributing factors section of your report incredibly important. Insurance companies scrutinize these details, looking for any opportunity to shift blame and reduce payouts. Even slight differences in assigned fault percentages can mean thousands of dollars in lost compensation.
How an Experienced Lawyer Can Help
Although the information in your crash report can work against your interests, it may also contain mistakes. Common errors include wrong vehicle positions, missing witness information, incorrect fault assignments, or incomplete injury documentation. These errors can severely impact your compensation if not addressed quickly.
Don't panic if your report has errors or wrongly assigns blame to you. An experienced car accident lawyer can help support your case by gathering additional evidence, such as surveillance footage, witness statements, accident scene photos, and medical records.
If you've been seriously injured in an Indiana auto accident, you shouldn't go through this process alone. At Keller & Keller, we handle everything from obtaining your crash report to negotiating with insurance companies. Our Indiana personal injury lawyers work on contingency, so you pay nothing unless we win your case.
