How to Obtain a Traffic Crash Report in Illinois
If you or somebody you care about has been injured or sustained property damage in a vehicle accident, you are going to need the accident report in order to move forward with your insurance claim. Additionally, if your case moves towards a personal injury civil lawsuit, you will certainly need the accident report. Here, we want to discuss how you can obtain traffic crash reports in Illinois.
When a Report is Filed in Illinois
Any driver involved in a crash in the state of Illinois is required to file a report in the event the incident led to an injury, a death, or resulted in more than $1,500 worth of property damage expenses if all drivers are insured. If any driver involved in the incident does not have insurance, the property damage threshold is lowered to $500.
In the event a police officer does not show up to the scene of the incident to fill out the report, the individuals involved will need to file the report with the Illinois State Police within 10 days after the incident occurs.
How to Obtain the Illinois Crash Report
Crash reports in Illinois can be obtained online from the Illinois State Police website. When you go to the website, you will be responsible for inputting certain information, including the:
- Agency crash report number
- First and last name of the driver
- Day the crash occurred
- Location of the crash
- County where the crash occurred
This information will make it easier for the state police to locate the report and get it back to you in a timely manner. There will be a fee of $5 that you can pay using a credit or debit card through the online portal.
If you do not want to request the report through the online portal, you can submit a written request for the crash report that will need to include all the same information. If you request a written report, you need to include a $5 money order or check payable to the Illinois State Police. You will also need to include a self-addressed stamped envelope so the officials can send the report back to you.
You can also obtain crash reports directly from the agency that took the report. For example, if the incident took place in the city of Chicago, you can go through their online portal to receive the report. Obtaining a report from the Chicago Police Department costs $6.
Should You Work With an Attorney?
If you or somebody you care about has been injured or sustained property damage in a vehicle accident caused by the negligence of another driver in Illinois, you need to consider working with an attorney. When you have a lawyer by your side, particularly for anything resulting in moderate to severe injuries, you will have an advocate ready to help you every step of the way.
Your attorney will be responsible for handling all communication with other parties. They can obtain the accident report on your behalf and work to recover the compensation you need. This will include handling all communication and negotiations with other parties.