Reading Your Arizona Car Accident Report

If you’ve been hurt in a crash, call Byron Browne

If you were involved in a car accident in Gilbert or anywhere in Arizona, it’s always a good idea to call the police. Officers at the scene will secure the scene and get help for the injured. They will also complete an accident report, officially known as the Arizona Crash Report. This report will contain information that can be very useful if you are seeking financial compensation.

Attorney Byron Browne of Browne Law Group knows that life can get complicated following a car crash. All you want to do is to get compensation from the insurance company and move on. But you shouldn’t have to settle for less. Our firm is dedicated to helping clients recover maximum compensation for the injuries they’ve suffered.

How to get a copy of your Arizona accident report

We suggest ordering a copy of this report as soon as possible. You can contact the law enforcement agency that investigated your accident. Or you can order a copy online from the Arizona Department of Public Safety if your crash happened on a highway and was investigated by Arizona State Troopers (you will need to create an account). There will be a fee. Our firm can also help.

When you get a copy of your accident report, review it carefully and check for inaccuracies. Then contact us. A car accident lawyer can review the report with you and talk about what it means for your case. There may be information in the report that helps prove negligence – for example, whether the other driver was cited for a traffic violation.

Insurance companies will also read through your accident report. But they’re looking for information that will help them to justify paying you less. Attorney Byron Browne knows how insurance companies operate. He’ll use the information in your report to build a strong case that proves you were injured due to another driver’s negligence.

An experienced attorney who’s got your back

Our legal team takes your case seriously right from the start. We’re not intimidated by insurance company tactics. We investigate the crash to get the facts. We gather evidence and interview witnesses to find out what really happened. We review your medical reports and determine the total damages you suffered.

Then we demand the financial compensation that you deserve. This includes compensation for all current and future medical expenses related to your injuries, lost wages if you missed time from work, and other damages including pain and suffering. We’ll take a tough stance in negotiations until we reach a settlement that works for you.

If you’ve been in a crash, It’s important to act fast. Get legal advice from an experienced attorney as soon as you can. In Arizona, you have two years from the date of your accident to take legal action. That seems like a long time. But the sooner we can get started, the better. Evidence can be lost over time and witnesses can forget details.

Contact us today to schedule a free consultation at our Gilbert office. Or we can meet at another location that is more convenient for you.

page one

Sections 1-3

These sections include a basic overview – the date, time, and location of the accident; the number of vehicles involved; total injuries and fatalities; and light and weather conditions at the time of the crash.

Section 4

This section will note if your accident was a secondary collision. The time the accident was cleared will be included, as well as information about the use of safety devices, the deployment of airbags and injury severity.

Section 5

There will be information about each “traffic unit” – that is, each driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist involved in the crash. This includes identifying information about each vehicle.

Section 6

This section will list any passengers in vehicles involved in the collision, noting where they were seated and whether they suffered an injury.

Sections 7-8

Any damage to vehicles and other property will be noted here.

Section 9

This section will include names and contact information for any witnesses.

Sections 10-11

These will include information about any citations that were made, as well as information about official photos and the name and badge number of the officer who responded to the scene.

page two

Sections 12-26

These sections include additional information about the accident: traffic signals, the type of road, what each vehicle was doing at the time of the crash, any distracted driving behavior, any traffic violations by drivers, and any suspected impairment.

Section 27

This section provides the sequence of events leading up to the accident, which can be useful in determining how the crash happened.

page three

Sections 28-29

In this section, the officer will draw a diagram that illustrates what happened in the accident. nothing the location and direction of travel for each vehicle.

Section 30

The officer will give a narrative of how the accident happened. The narrative section is often a “catchall” for details that aren’t mentioned in other sections of the report, so it’s important to read it carefully.