Tennessee law requires both drivers and law enforcement officers to report most car accidents in the state. These reports include information you need for your injury claim, including the other driver’s insurance information — unless they were an uninsured motorist.
After a collision in Nashville, TN, you should learn how to obtain an accident report so you can provide copies to your insurer and lawyer. We use crash reports to gather evidence and prove the other driver’s liability for your injuries. Contact Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with one of our Nashville car accident lawyers today. Call us at (615) 685-8546 for more help.
How Our Car Accident Attorneys Can Help You With Your Car Accident
Our Nashville car accident attorneys have over ten years of legal experience standing up to insurers and at-fault parties on behalf of the firm’s clients.
If you have suffered injuries from an avoidable car accident, our firm will:
- Listen to your story and advise you about your legal options
- Collect evidence to prove the other party’s liability for your losses
- File an insurance claim and negotiate aggressively to settle it
- Litigate against the at-fault party when insurers deny coverage
A car crash claim can require extensive evidence and legal arguments before you recover any compensation. Contact Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers in Nashville, Tennessee for a free consultation with one of our Nashville personal injury lawyers.
Under What Circumstances Must Crash Reports Be Filed In Nashville?
According to Tennessee law, drivers must file a crash report for any accident involving the following:
- Death
- Injury
- Private property damage of at least $1,500 to any one person
- Government property damage of at least $400
When the driver cannot file a report due to their injuries, a passenger or the vehicle’s owner can file the report for the driver.
Additionally, Tennessee law enforcement officers must prepare a crash report within seven days of completing a crash investigation. This report gets filed with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security and is stored at the local Tennessee Highway Patrol district office.
How Do You Obtain An Accident Report In Nashville, TN?
You have three options for obtaining an accident report in Nashville. However, not all agencies offer all options, so the procedure for obtaining your crash report will depend on the agency that investigated your accident.
All agencies require you to sign a certification stating you are a driver or vehicle owner involved in the crash to obtain an unredacted report. A member of the public can get a redacted copy with your personally identifying information blacked out.
Your options for obtaining a copy of your report include the following:
Online
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security makes all crash reports in the state available online. Requesters can use the online portal to submit the certification and pay the fee to obtain a crash report from the Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP), Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, or Metropolitan Nashville Police Department.
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department makes its crash reports available through a portal operated by Carfax. This portal only includes reports for crashes investigated by the metro police. It does not include those from the sheriff’s office or highway patrol. It also excludes reports prepared for fatal crashes or crashes where a driver faced criminal charges.
In-Person
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security also allows requesters to pick up crash reports in person. You can use this option to obtain copies of any report filed by any police agency in the state. However, you must travel to the THP district office responsible for the county where the crash occurred.
Neither the metro police department nor the sheriff’s office provides instructions for picking up a crash report in person.
You can mail a request to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. You do not need to figure out which THP office has jurisdiction over your crash. Instead, all mail requests go to the financial responsibility division in Nashville. The drawback to this option is that it may take up to four weeks to receive a response.
Schedule A Free Consultation With One of Our Nashville Car Accident Lawyers
An accident report can help your lawyer track down witnesses and gather other evidence about the cause of the collision. Contact Labrum Law Firm Personal Injury Lawyers to schedule a free consultation with one of our Nashville car accident lawyers to discuss a legal strategy for using your crash report to seek injury compensation.
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