After a car accident in Montgomery County, Ohio, an accident report serves as a crucial piece of evidence memorializing the event.
If you suffer injuries or property damage, you probably want to recover compensation from the at-fault party. Your accident report provides an unbiased account of a reporting law enforcement officer’s observations of your accident.
Read on to learn how to get a copy of your Montgomery County accident report and why this report is so important.
Different Ways to Get Your Montgomery County Accident Report
The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office provides two ways to obtain a copy of your accident report. The most direct way to retrieve your accident report is through the State of Ohio online database.
In Ohio, Montgomery County accident reports are typically available approximately 72 hours after the event. Look up the crash by the following information:
- Date of occurrence,
- County of occurrence, or
- Reporting agency.
The search results may populate an exhaustive list of all accidents occurring in Montgomery County on that date. Once you find your report, you are free to download it directly from the State of Ohio database for no charge.
If photographs or witness statements were taken at the scene of your accident, this evidence isn’t included in the State of Ohio copies of your Montgomery County accident report.
However, any photographs and witness statements may provide crucial evidence in support of your claim. You can retrieve this additional evidence directly from the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office through their online request form. The information required includes:
- Name,
- Email address,
- Phone number,
- Address,
- Report number,
- Crash date, and
- Location of the crash.
It’s important to note that if your accident occurred on private property, or if only an exchange of information was completed, you cannot use the State of Ohio database to find your Montgomery County accident report.
Request a Copy of Your Accident Report
Accident Report Request Form
How to Read Montgomery County Accident Reports
A Montgomery County car accident report provides a wealth of information that can be incredibly confusing to understand. It’s critical to review the information contained in your Montgomery County Police accident report to ensure its accuracy.
Crash Page OH-1
The first page of your crash report provides basic information such as the date, time, and location of the accident, in addition to any photographs accompanying the report.
The middle portion of this report describes weather conditions and the type of collision that occurred. The Montgomery County, Ohio accident report includes a section for the reporting officer to create a narrative of events.
Crash Page OH-1U
The next page of Montgomery County car accident reports provides the identifying information of the parties and the type of vehicles involved in the accident.
This information can be incredibly useful for your personal injury attorney in filing a lawsuit. For example, if you suffered injuries so severe you were unable to get the contact information of other parties involved, there’s no reason to fret. All that information should be in the accident report.
A reporting law enforcement official also identifies any damage to vehicles. This information connects your claim for compensation to the damages observed immediately following your car accident.
The reporting officer identifies how the accident occurred and the existence of any contributing factors to the accident, such as speeding or failing to adhere to traffic signals.
Crash Page OH-1M
This page includes information about motorists or non-motorists involved in the crash. Non-motorists include pedestrians and bicyclists. Along with their contact information, the report also includes a section identifying any injuries and whether they were transported for medical treatment.
The last page of the Montgomery County accident report is for identifying any additional occupants and the contact information for witnesses.
Considering the wealth of information that may be included in your Montgomery County accident report, you should always remember to request that an officer be sent to the scene of your accident.
When an officer reports to the scene of an accident, they must create this accident report. Even if you think you didn’t suffer any injuries or incur any property damage, the accident report memorializes vital information surrounding your accident that may become useful later.
What Should I Do After an Accident?
After the traumatic experience of a car accident, many people can’t think of what to do next. However, if you can, it’s important to remember these important steps to follow after a car accident:
- Remain at the crash scene;
- If you are able, check yourself and others for injuries;
- Contact law enforcement and request assistance;
- Exchange contact and insurance information with other involved parties;
- Seek medical attention; and
- Take photographs of the scene, your vehicle, and other property damage.
The experience of a car accident boosts your adrenaline and may trick you into believing you are free of injury. Even if you feel you escaped your accident unscathed, seek medical attention anyway.
Serious injuries such as whiplash may lead to more serious spinal and tissue damage if left undiagnosed.
Why Do I Need an Attorney?
Following a Montgomery County accident, the furthest thing from your mind may be retrieving your accident report. This is how a qualified personal injury attorney can assist you. Aaron Bensinger of Balyeat, Leahy, Daley, Miller & Bensinger, LLC, focuses on personal injury and civil litigation and provides superior legal representation to his clients in their time of need.
Without hesitation, Aaron will take your case to trial and never backs down in the fight against insurance companies. A personal injury can be devastating and overwhelming. As life goes on around you, you may feel like you’ll never get back on track.
Contact Attorney Aaron Bensinger today for compassionate legal representation so you can turn your life around. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.
Aaron L. Bensinger is an Ohio attorney serving personal injury and civil litigation clients. He has extensive trial experience and makes client service is his primary focus. As a partner at Balyeat, Leahy, Daley, Miller & Bensinger, LLC, Aaron happily works in Lima, OH, and serves the entire Northwest region of the state and beyond.
Loading...