Injured in a car accident and need help obtaining your accident report? We can help. Call us at (419) 455-1410 or contact us online to ask us questions about your accident. Our firm helps car accident victims across the state of Ohio.
After a car accident, it’s hard to know what to do to protect your rights. It’s crucial to obtain and carefully review your Ohio traffic crash report.
Visit the Ohio Department of Public Safety website to obtain a copy of your Ohio traffic accident report.
This document contains a wealth of information that may assist you as you seek recovery after a car accident. A qualified Ohio personal injury attorney may assist you in retrieving your State of Ohio crash report.
What Is an Ohio Traffic Crash Report?
Ohio car accident reports are also called OH-1 Traffic Accident Reports. Law enforcement personnel use these reports to record the details surrounding an Ohio traffic collision. However, if the police did not report to the scene of your accident, you may file a BMV 3303 accident report in Ohio.
Do I Need an Ohio Traffic Accident Report?
There is typically no requirement for Ohio residents to report their Ohio traffic crashes.
However, in the event of an injury or fatality, parties must call 911.
Absent personal injury or fatality, police are not required to report to the scene of an Ohio crash.
Additionally, the State of Ohio does not require police to create crash reports unless the accident resulted in death, injury, or more than $1,000 in property damage.
Despite this, at the bare minimum, even if the police do not file an Ohio Department of Public Safety crash report, all parties must pull over safely and exchange information. This information includes the name, address, phone number, and registration number of the vehicles involved.
You should also exchange insurance information, including the carrier information and policy number.
When to File Ohio Department of Public Safety Reports
Even if the circumstances of your crash in Ohio may not require an Ohio traffic accident report, you should file one. If the police do not respond to the scene of your accident, certain situations may permit you to submit your own Ohio crash report.
In Ohio, it is illegal to drive without insurance. The Ohio Revised Code 4509.06 permits an insured driver, vehicle owner, or insurance company representative involved in a motor vehicle accident with an uninsured driver to submit their ODPS crash report to the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Filing this report may result in the suspension of the uninsured driver if the following criteria exist:
- Form 3303 is filed with the Ohio BMV within six months of the accident;
- The accident occurred in Ohio;
- Property damage or injury resulting from the accident amounted to more than $400; and
- At least three identifying facts regarding the uninsured driver match the Ohio BMV records, including date of birth, name, and Ohio driver license number.
The Ohio car accident report should also include an itemized list of the damage or injuries reported.
Even if you and the other party decide to settle matters through your mutual insurance companies after the accident, it’s still important to file Ohio accident reports. Different cities and counties operate differently and may permit you to complete and file your accident report in Ohio.
You may not be aware of any injuries sustained in the accident. But in many cases, injuries suffered in a crash in Ohio may not be apparent until after an examination with your doctor.
Additionally, you may not fully understand the severity of damage to your vehicle until it is seen by a mechanic.
How Do I Get Ohio Crash Reports?
The Ohio Department of Public Safety website provides valuable information under “crash reports” to search for ODPS crash reports and other materials.
To obtain a copy of your Ohio traffic crash report, you may visit the Ohio Department of Public Safety website.
In Ohio, you may get a copy of your traffic accident for free. Besides your name, additional vital information to have on hand is the date of your car accident. Your Ohio traffic accident report should come up in the search result.
Following an accident, it may take up to six weeks for the Ohio Department of Public Safety to upload your car accident report into their database.
Request a Copy of Your Accident Report
Accident Report Request Form
How Do I Read Ohio Traffic Accident Reports?
State of Ohio traffic reports include essential information. Review these points for accuracy. The important information to confirm includes the following:
- Date of the incident. Accuracy in the date of the incident is important because the time you have to file a claim in court depends on when the accident occurred.
- Location of the incident. Inaccuracy in the location of the accident or description of the place may result in the incorrect assignment of fault.
- Personal information. The personal information of all parties involved must be accurate. In some situations, the driving record of an involved party may be relevant to the circumstances of an accident.
- Photographs. Police reporting to the scene of an accident must take pictures. Therefore, if no images exist to accompany the ODPS traffic report, contact the law enforcement agency to request copies.
- Collision factors. In Ohio traffic accident reports, a police officer identifies which party they believe to be at fault for the collision. Therefore, it’s essential to carefully review the police officer’s depiction of events, as this may affect the way an insurance company views your liability.
- Witness information and statements. Witness statements also add essential information regarding the events surrounding the car accident.
If any information in your Ohio traffic accident report represents inaccurate details, contact a qualified personal injury attorney to review the circumstances surrounding your case.
Contact Us
Aaron Bensinger of Bensinger Law provides dedicated legal services to clients throughout northwest Ohio. We understand the hardships clients face after a traumatic car accident in Ohio. Without hesitation, our firm takes on insurance companies to protect your rights while focusing on your healing.
Aaron Bensinger provides impeccable attention to detail and in-depth knowledge of insurance company strategies to help clients recover what they deserve. Contact our Ohio car accident lawyers today online or call 419-595-4559 for a free case review of your Ohio traffic accident.
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.
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