Reading Your Kansas Car Accident Police Report

Our Wichita lawyers fight for maximum compensation

Accident reports are key evidence when pursuing financial compensation after a car accident. Many insurance companies refuse to move forward with paying on a claim until they have the police report. If you were injured or sustained property damage in an auto accident, you likely will want to know how to read and interpret the Kansas Motor Vehicle Crash Report.

Your recovery from the injuries you suffered can be prolonged but getting your police report and understanding what it means should be simple. To help you in this process, the car accident injury lawyers at PISTOTNIK LAW have provided a sample Kansas Motor Vehicle Crash Report form along with the coding sheet that officers use to complete the report.

After your wreck, it is best to get a copy of your accident report as soon as possible. We will get the report for you once we are hired. 

What Information Is in My Kansas Motor Vehicle Crash Report

In the top right corner of the first page of the report is the case number.  The report contains the time, date, and location of your crash. This includes the county name, city name, street name and whether your crash happened at an intersection or a construction zone. If the accident is fatal, involves a commercial vehicle, a school bus or a hit-and-run driver, this information will be recorded at the top of page one.

Driver information, vehicle information and alcohol/drug information are also recorded by responding or investigating officers throughout the report.

Driver information includes:

• Name, address, and phone number
• Driver’s license state, number, type, and status
• Driver’s date of birth

Vehicle information includes:

• Make, model and body style
• License plate number
• Vehicle identification number (VIN)
• Insurance company name and policy number

Drug/alcohol information includes:

• Whether there is evidence of impairment
• Method of determination of impairment
• Sobriety test results

Information about light conditions, weather, surface type and conditions, intersection type, crash class, type of collision, and traffic controls are on the first page. The second page is a diagram of the collision.  The third page has a listing of drivers and passengers, information about alcohol/drugs, and driver’s license information.

If violations were charged, the infraction is listed on the third page.  Most important is the officer’s opinion of apparent contributing circumstances on the third page.  These are often coded and the codes are identified on the page below.  The codes provide the officer’s opinions on the driver condition at the time of the crash, driver distractions, and driver actions at the time of the crash.  These are the most important opinions and are ofter the basis of determining fault for the wreck.  This page also shows which driver and passenger reported injuries and the severity of injury.   

On the fourth page, there is information about the year make and model of the vehicles involved, along with location of property damage, vehicle type, vehicle use, and vehicle sequence of events.

When  a commercial vehicle is involved there are additional pages completed for HEAVY VEHICLE & HAZMAT Supplement.

The crash narrative, normally on page five, is where the accident investigators record their opinion of how the accident happened. This typically included a summary of events leading to the collision, along with driver’s statements, witness statements, and the officer’s opinions on fault along with the citations that were issued.

When multiple vehicles are involved, additional pages are included for those other vehicles, resulting in the pages being numbered differently.

How Do I Obtain My Kansas Motor Vehicle Crash Report?

To obtain your car accident police report in Kansas, you’ll need to request it from the responding law enforcement agency. In Wichita, this can be from the City of Wichita, the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s office, or the Kansas Highway Patrol.  At the accident scene, you need to take notice of which agency is involved, but hopefully, you will get a document from the officer with identification information.

You can visit the agency in person or you can request your report online. Our firm will get the police report for you and save you the time and expense of getting the report on your own.  If you already have the police report, that can expedite the claims.

How Can I Correct Errors on My Kansas Motor Vehicle Crash Report?

Carefully review any information in your car accident report to make sure it is correct. If you notice any errors, reach out to the law enforcement officer or agency who prepared the report. Provide them with the report number and explain the errors you found.

Provide evidence to support correcting the error. This can include photographs from the car accident scene, witness statements, or other relevant documents.  Ask the officer to issue a supplemental report.

Contact An Experienced Kansas Injury Attorney for Help With Your Car Accident Claim

If you were involved in a car accident in Wichita or Kansas, get legal advice as soon as possible. The experienced car accident injury lawyers at Pistotnik law will help you review your report and go over your legal options, free of charge. We’ll use the police report to build your case, establish liability, and fight for fair compensation.

If you have any questions regarding your police report or car accident injury case, we’ll provide straight forward and easy to understand answers. To get legal help to protect yourself and to maximize your case value, contact us today to schedule a free consultation.