For car accident victims in South Carolina, obtaining a copy of a police report is important. This report can help support your claim against an irresponsible driver so that you can recover compensative damages. But how can you get a police report for a car accident in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, there are multiple ways for victims to get a copy of a police report for a car accident. You can request a collision report online through the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles portal. Victims can send a request by mail or in person by filling out the proper forms. Regardless of how you choose to request a police report, it’s important to do so. That report can benefit your case against a negligent driver and help your attorney represent your interests in a lawsuit.
Our South Carolina car accident attorneys can use the details in a police report to recover compensation for your injuries. For help getting a copy of a police report, call the South Carolina car accident attorneys at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers today at (803) 451-4000.
How Can You Get a Police Report for a Car Accident in South Carolina?
Wherever a car accident happens in South Carolina, victims can request the corresponding police report from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV). Accident victims can obtain a report in one of three ways: online, by mail, or in person. Regardless of how you choose to request a copy of a collision report, several important steps are involved.
Online
Perhaps the simplest way to get a police report for a car accident is by visiting the SCDMV’s collision report portal. To request a report, victims must provide their driver’s license number and their social security number. You must also provide your date of birth and information about the accident.
Reports cost $6 each. Within a few days of police officers completing a collision report, it should be available on the SCDMV website. Reports for accidents that occurred before March 22, 2012 are not available online, but that might not impact you. After all, the statute of limitations to file a car accident lawsuit in South Carolina is three years. Requesting a report online is simple and quick.
By Mail
South Carolina car accident victims can request a copy of a collision report from the SCDMV by mail. To do so, you must complete a Request for Copy Collision Report, also known as SCDMV Form FR-50. This form requires a significant amount of information, which may not be known to victims. The Columbia car accident attorneys at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers can help you complete this form.
The form must be completed twice, something that car accident victims may not know. Form FR-50 requires information about the report itself, like the identification number. The police officers who completed the report at the accident scene might have given you that number. If not, your attorney can help you request a report by mail. You must send payment along with two copies of Form FR-50. It’s important to note that the SCDMV does not accept cash by mail, so victims must send a money order or check for $6.
In Person
If you were injured in a car accident in South Carolina and want a copy of the corresponding police report, you can request it in person. Car accident victims can either visit a local branch of the SCDMV or the necessary police department. Victims need to complete two copies of Form FR-50 and provide $6 in payment to request a report in person. When requested in person, victims can use cash to pay for a copy of a collision report.
How a Police Report for a Car Accident in South Carolina Can Help You
Getting a police report for a car accident in South Carolina can support your claim in a lawsuit against a responsible party. While police reports aren’t considered evidence, they can contain vital details that help your attorney prove a driver’s negligence. But, to get a police report, you have to call the police.
Provides Basic Facts
While South Carolina residents can inform the police of damages after a car accident, it’s best to call them to the scene. Alerting officers to a collision can ensure the creation of a police report. This report can hold important pieces of information that can be beneficial to your case against a negligent driver. Collision reports contain all of the basics, including the place and time of an accident and the involved parties’ information. Officers can note damage to property and injuries to victims within a report. In addition to basic information, these reports can also contain crucial details that might have otherwise been overlooked.
Contains Important Details
For example, a police report may note another driver’s negligence. If they were impaired at the time of an accident, officers might test their drug or alcohol levels. This information will be noted and can help the South Carolina personal injury attorneys at Burriss Ridgeway prove a defendant’s negligence. South Carolina police officers can also interview eyewitnesses to the accident to compile a sequence of events. If others noticed another driver’s negligence, that could benefit your case. Without a police report, your Sumter car accident lawyer may not have access to such information.
Points to Evidence
Of course, having the details is one thing. Knowing how to use them to a client’s advantage is another thing altogether. The Columbia personal injury attorneys at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers can use the information within a police report to support your claim against a negligent driver. While police reports aren’t considered evidence, they can point to evidence. Knowing the exact location of an accident can help your attorney discover possible security camera footage. Learning if a defendant was impaired can point to their negligence. It’s important to call the police to an accident scene so you can get a collision report.
Our Attorneys Can Help You Get a Police Report for a Car Accident in South Carolina
Obtaining a copy of a police report can help you recover the damages you deserve after a car accident in South Carolina. To learn more, call the South Carolina car accident attorneys at Burriss Ridgeway Injury Lawyers today at (803) 451-4000.