Police officers are often summoned to prepare a report following a traffic accident. However, there are occasions, such as for insurance purposes or when police aren’t called, when you will need to prepare a motor vehicle accident report. You must write an objective account about what happened, where, and when. This includes providing details about the people, vehicles, physical injuries, and property damage.

Steps Edit

Method One of Six:
Detailing the Crash Site Edit

Report when the motor vehicle accident occurred. Include the date, day of the week, and the time.

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Describe the natural and artificial lighting conditions at the time of the crash. State if it was daytime, dark, dusk, or dawn. Say whether there were streetlights illuminated.

State the weather conditions.

Report where the crash happened. Be as specific as possible. The details you can provide will depend on if the crash was in an urban or rural area.

• Street name and block number
• Name of the nearest cross streets, if applicable. Include how far the crash was from the intersection.
• Address number, intersecting roadway, bridge, mile marker, exit number or other landmark
• Name of the municipality, county, township and state where the accident occurred

Method Two of Six:
Writing About the Vehicles Edit

Describe all vehicles involved in the crash. These may include cars, trucks, SUVs, motorcycles, bicycles, or ATVs.

• Makes, models, and years of the vehicles
• License plate number, the issuing state, and the years
• Where the damage occurred on the vehicle. Estimate how much it will cost to fix.
• State if the vehicle is inoperable, drivable, or totaled.

Method Three of Six:
Writing About the Drivers Edit

Include identifying and insurance information for all drivers involved.

• Names, birth dates, and genders
• Home addresses
• Drivers’ license numbers and issuing states
• Drivers’ insurance companies and policy numbers

Method Four of Six:
Including Other Property Damage Edit

Note if there was other property damage. For example, one of the vehicles may have knocked down a street sign was knocked down or hit a homeowner’s fence.

• Include the name and address of the property owner if the damage was to private property.

Estimate how much it will cost to fix.

Method Five of Six:
Writing About the Injured Edit

Identify anyone who was injured in the traffic accident.

• Name, age, and gender
• Home address

State the severity of the injury and where on the body it occurred. Note if the injured person died.

Name the hospital the injured person went to. Give the name the doctor if you know it.

Identify if the injured person was a driver and in what vehicle, a passenger and in what vehicle, or a pedestrian.

Describe the locations of any injured pedestrians during the crash. Include if the pedestrian was in the roadway or not.

• Detail what the pedestrian was doing. For example, the pedestrian may have been jogging on the sidewalk or playing in the street.
• State which direction the pedestrian was traveling.

How do I write a statement about an injured person?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

• Ask for his name, address, home and work phone number. Ask where the person was sitting in the car and assign a number if more than one person in vehicle. Ask if a seat belt was worn and describe the type (lap belt only, 3 point, etc). Ask him to describe injuries/pain and list specifics, along with body location of injuries. If transported, list hospital name/location. Try to note exactly what they say, don’t alter if possible.

Where can I see a summary of a statement?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

• Everyone involved in the accident, along with their insurance companies, can request a copy of the police report. Contact the governing agency for cost and procedures to obtain a copy. If a police report wasn’t taken, your insurance company should have a copy of all documents.

What is the DMV address that you send an accident report to?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

• Your insurance company should take care of DMV notification. If you aren’t going through your insurance company, call your local DMV office for the address to send the report.

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