Have you been involved in a collision in Illinois? If so, one of the first documents the insurance company will request when you file a claim is your official Illinois Traffic Crash Report. The adjuster will use this report to determine fault, causation, and other essential details about your crash. Then they’ll use that information to decide the financial settlement they give you.
Contacting law enforcement is the first thing you should do after being involved in a crash and ensuring no one is in immediate danger. No matter how serious or minor the crash was, having an impartial officer at the scene to file an official crash report will benefit you greatly in the days and weeks to come.
When an officer is called to the scene of your accident, they’ll likely start an official Illinois Traffic Crash Report. In this document, the officer takes down all pertinent information regarding the accident, including:
You don’t need an officer at the scene to report an accident in Illinois. However, an official report filed by a law enforcement officer at the scene will carry greater influence during the claims process. Filing your own report could be seen as biased and disregarded by the adjuster.
Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), all crash reports are considered public records. Therefore, anyone who has an interest in your accident can obtain one.
You can submit a written request for your crash report to the Illinois State Police via US mail. Unfortunately, this process is complex and requires you to submit a check of $5.00 or $20.00 for a traffic reconstruction report.
The standard waiting period for an official report following a crash is about ten business days after the accident occurred.
A collision is an incredibly stressful and overwhelming situation to experience. Other entities will charge unnecessary fees and require you to fill out extensive paperwork to provide a copy of your official crash report. We’re here to make getting a certified copy of your accident report as quick and painless as possible!
Simply answer a few basic questions about your crash, and we’ll recover an official copy of your report at zero obligation to you and without the use of a credit card.