San francisco, California Car Accident Reports

The San Francisco police department requires you to wait a minimum of five business days from the date of the accident before you make your request, to allow the report to be reviewed and approved for release. It can take up to twelve business days before your report is available. If your report is still not available after twelve business days contact the law enforcement agency directly.

San Francisco and Fresno accident reports cost $10 per report.

Per police policy, the following parties can request an unredacted copy of a California accident report:

• All parties involved in the accident
• The parent or legal guardian of a minor
• The registered owner/legal owner of the vehicle 
• The legal representative of one of the parties involved, such as an accident attorney
• The insurance company or insurance adjuster

• Contact information for all parties involved in the motor vehicle crash, including their full names and contact details, as well as any witnesses.
• The reporting law enforcement officer’s assessment of who was at fault and how and why the accident occurred.
• A diagram depicting the crash site, including details such as vehicle positions, road markings, and other pertinent information.
• Information on insurance policies held by all drivers involved in the accident.
• Driver’s license numbers and license plate numbers/vehicle identification numbers for all drivers involved.
• Description of personal injuries sustained in the crash, including any medical treatment required, hospitalization, and follow-up care.
• Description of vehicle and property damage incurred during the accident, including cost estimates and photographs.
• Statements provided by witnesses and their contact information, including those that may support or contradict the law enforcement officer’s findings.
• Citations issued or arrests made, including violations such as speeding, reckless driving, DUI, DWI, failure to yield, etc.
• Details on road and weather conditions at the time of the accident, as well as any other factors that may have contributed to the crash, such as road debris, pedestrians, bicyclists, motorcycles, trucks, or broken traffic signals or signs.
• Actions taken by the police officers in response to the accident.
• The type of accident that occurred, such as a scooter, Uber, truck, motorcycle, head-on collision, rear-end accident, rollover collision, scooter, or pedestrian incident.

For this report type, you must provide as much information as possible, including:

• Your full name and phone number
• Incident type 
• Location of occurrence 
• Time and date of accident
• License plate number
• Report number, if available 

After a serious car collision, you may have sustained catastrophic injuries, significant vehicle damage, and you may be out of work as you’re recovering from your injuries. An experienced accident attorney can use the valuable information found in a crash report to hold the negligent driver liable for damages. 

Working With a Personal injury attorney 

Crash reports contain information including an unbiased opinion from the responding law enforcement officer concerning who they believe should be held at fault for the accident. With this information, an attorney can pursue compensation through an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.