Crash and Accident Report Forms in PA
In Pennsylvania, to make liability claims for property damage and bodily injury in an auto accident, you must be able to prove who was at fault for the wreck. Reviewing the police report about your accident is one way the Pennsylvania Personal Injury Attorneys at Naftulin and Shick evaluate your case. Section 3571 of Title 75, Pennsylvania Consolidated Statues (Vehicle Code) requires police agencies to investigate, upon notification, all crashes involving death, injury, and/or damage to any one vehicle to such an extent that it cannot be driven from the scene without further damage and therefore requires towing. Furthermore, the investigating agency must report these crashes within 15 days to the Department of Transportation on a form designed and supplied by the Department (Section 3752(b)). That form is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Police Crash Report (PCR) Form.
A series of numbers and codes in the report can help you understand the police officer’s observations, findings, and conclusions about your wreck.
There are a number of ways to obtain your Pennsylvania Crash Report. If it is a local police department, you can go to the station and pay for the report when it is ready and approved. If there are criminal charges pending, it may take longer to get from the police. If the responding police were the Pennsylvania State Police, you can go to the barracks and see the report but you cannot purchase a copy from them. They will allow you to copy via your own means such as a scanner or camera on your phone. To purchase a copy, a form must be submitted to the State Police Headquarters in Harrisburg.
Reading the report can be confusing. You can see a copy of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Police Officers Crash Report Manual and their Special Codes on their websites. Pennsylvania State Police Report Forms may differ from the local municipality Police Department forms. There are also forms for Non-Reportable Accidents and Forms for use by victims when the Police do not respond to the scene.
We read these forms all the time and can help you obtain a copy of yours and understand it. Call us anytime at 215-348-5455. Or send us an email through our web site at www.Naftulin-Shick.com.