Getting into a car accident can be stressful, and the last thing you want to do is paperwork. If you need a copy of the police report in your crash, we can explain how to get one, but our lawyers can also obtain a copy for you as part of our work on your case.
If you want to get a copy of your Allentown car accident report yourself, you can do so online, in person, or by mail. If another police department or the Pennsylvania State Police handled the accident, then you would get the report from them. However, we can get the report for you and save you the trouble.
Call Cardamone Law’s Allentown car accident lawyers at (267) 651-7945 to discuss your case with us today.
Getting a Car Accident Report from the Allentown Police Department
The Allentown PD has multiple options for getting a copy of your police report. Getting a report online is usually easiest, as they send a digital copy that you can send to your attorneys or insurance companies, or print out at your convenience. If you get a report online or in person, you might have to pay for additional copies, and you might need a scanner to send any digital copies.
Online
The Allentown PD website has a link to Crashdocs by Carfax. This is an outside service, but it is the one the city uses for its reports. There are other third-party services online that you might be able to get reports from, but you should always go with the service the police department contracts with.
If you try to use a different service, the report might be redacted or incomplete, so go with Crashdocs.
To get your report, you need your last name and the date of the accident, as well as a report/reference number. If you do not have this, you may be able to get it from the officer.
In Person
You can go in person to the City building at 425 Hamilton St. to the “Traffic door” on College St. to request your report in person. You need photo ID and a check or money order for $15, but you can also pay by cash.
Hours are limited and the office usually closes at 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday.
By Mail
You can get a copy by mail by sending a letter with the information listed on the website and send it to the listed address. You must include a pre-stamped envelope addressed to you for them to put the copies in, as well as a check or money order made out to “City of Allentown” for $15.
What if a Different Police Department Handled My Crash?
Sometimes the borders of Allentown are not exactly clear, and it is possible that your crash actually happened in Emmaus, South Whitehall, Whitehall, Macungie, or Bethlehem/Bethlehem Township. Each of those communities has its own police department, and you can potentially find your report with them. Contact them directly or check their websites.
The Pennsylvania State Police handles policing for some small communities without their own PDs, but they also handle accidents on highways. That means that if your accident happened on the PA Turnpike, the Northeast Extension, I-78, or Route 22, it may have been handled by them. You can request reports from the PSP online or through the mail.
Reports from the PSP cost $22.
It is rare for the Sheriff’s Office to respond to a crash, but if they did so, then you can contact the Lehigh County Sheriff’s Office to find out how to get a copy of the report.
Can My Lawyer Get a Report for Me?
Our Allentown car accident lawyers can get a copy of your police report for you. There is usually no need for you to be the one to get it on your own, as lawyers and insurance companies are typically permitted to access reports on their clients’ behalf.
There is plenty of other evidence we can also collect in your case, such as your medical records, and there is typically no need for you to be the one to get it.
If you have faced a request from your insurance company for you to get a copy on your own, let us know. You usually should avoid talking to the insurance company without talking to us first, and they are usually perfectly capable of finding the report on their own.
Can I Use a Police Report as Evidence in My Case?
Police reports are inadmissible as evidence in a car accident lawsuit. They are also hearsay, so even if they were allowed, they would still be blocked unless you had some exception.
The evidence in a report is not usually made up from a first-hand account to begin with, making it somewhat unreliable. The officer probably did not witness the crash and only saw the aftermath. That means their statements about what the crash scene looked like afterwards, who suffered injuries, and what damage was noted would be accurate, but any stories about how the crash happened would be based on second-hand info.
It is better to go straight to the source when we call witnesses to testify. This means calling those who actually saw the crash to testify, and using the police officer’s direct testimony about what they saw afterwards.
When Are Police Reports Ready for a Crash in Allentown?
Pennsylvania law usually requires reports to be made within 15 days, so the rule of thumb is to wait 15 days before requesting your report.
How Much Do Police Reports Cost in Allentown?
If you get your report in person or by mail from the Allentown PD, it usually costs $15. The Pennsylvania State Police charge $22 for reports. It is unclear how much Crashdocs charges, but it is typically comparable.
Call Our Allentown Car Accident Attorney Right Away
Call the Philadelphia, PA car accident lawyers at Cardamone Law at (267) 651-7945 to review your case with us for free.
