After a car accident in Allen County, obtaining a copy of your accident report is an important piece of evidence that may affect the outcome of your claim.
A law enforcement officer reports to the scene of your accident and creates an accident report based on their unbiased observations.
In some reports, a police officer may even identify the at-fault party.
It’s common to be uncertain about specific details related to your accident. It’s even more common to forget.
Unfortunately, it’s these important details that provide the most support to your claim for compensation.
Luckily, an Allen County accident report includes this important information you may have forgotten or been too injured to retain. There are multiple ways to obtain a copy of your accident report.
Enlisting the help of a personal injury attorney can assist you in obtaining a copy of your accident report.
How to Get Allen County Accident Reports in Person
A direct way to retrieve a copy of Allen County, Ohio Sheriff’s accident report is in person at the Sheriff’s Office Records Bureau. The Sheriff’s Office is located at 333 N. Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45802. You may pick up your report between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday.
The Allen County Sheriff’s Department charges a fee of $0.04 per page for your car accident report. If the officer reporting to the scene of your accident also took photos to accompany your report, a copy of these photographs can either be emailed to you for no charge or transferred to a CD for a $10 fee.
If photographs exist, these may strengthen your claim for recovery in a personal injury lawsuit. Your personal injury attorney can use photographs to help prove essential elements of your claim.
How to Get Your Allen County Accident Report by Mail
You may also request Allen County, Ohio accident reports by mail or fax via the Sheriff’s website request form. Be sure to provide all required information to streamline the search for your report.
How to Get Your Allen County Accident Report Online
You may also obtain a copy of your Allen County, Ohio accident reports online via email to the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. Email all requests to records@acso-oh.us. Upon receipt of the request, an Allen County records clerk looks up your accident report and emails it back to you at no cost.
Request a Copy of Your Accident Report
Accident Report Request Form
What Information Do I Need to Provide?
All requests submitted to the Allen County Sheriff’s Department must provide certain information. Be sure to include the following information in your request:
- Report number if available,
- Date of occurrence,
- Names of those involved, and
- Location of the accident.
Missing information may delay your request. If at all possible, obtain as much information as you can at the scene of your accident, so you can quickly request a copy of your accident report once it’s available.
How Do I Find My Allen County Accident Report Number?
Don’t worry if you can’t remember or can’t quickly locate the report number for your Allen County accident report. Fortunately, the state of Ohio provides a database record of all crashes for the past five years.
Even if you don’t know the exact date of your accident, the database populates a list with a date range. Be sure to identify the Allen County agency as the reporting law enforcement group.
Search through the Allen County accident report list, paying attention to the details provided such as:
- Crash date,
- Location,
- Agency,
- Jurisdiction, and
- Crash severity.
If a report sounds familiar, you may also view the report to determine if it’s yours. Once you find it, you can download a copy directly from the Ohio Crash System.
Contact Us
Attorney Aaron Bensinger has focused his practice on personal injury and civil litigation matters to assist clients in their times of need. We fully grasp the fear and uncertainty you may be facing in the days, weeks, and months following a car accident.
You may wonder how to handle your mounting expenses while focusing on your physical recovery. Talk to our team to find out how we can give you the support you need. Contact our office today for a free case evaluation and let us help you get on the road to recovery!