Experiencing a car accident in Spartanburg, SC, can leave you feeling like you took on a second job. Handling medical care, repairing your vehicle, searching for paperwork, and other challenges can be costly and time-consuming.
Meanwhile, you may have to take time off from your actual occupation to recover, and your bills still need to be paid.
Filing a claim with your car insurance company is a logical next step to recover your damages. This is when many people look for a copy of their police report.
Before you begin a car accident insurance claim, it’s essential to review your police report for several reasons. Frequently, clients tell us they are uncertain about fault—some even worry they might be to blame.
Some are convinced the other party is responsible but have concerns about proving it. Often, people involved in an accident are surprised at some of the information in the report.
While a police report doesn’t explicitly assign responsibility, it provides critical evidence that an insurance adjuster will consider in determining fault. For this reason, it’s helpful to talk to a lawyer about the information in your report so you can address any inconsistencies, errors, or other concerns right away.
If you need assistance with your police report or have any questions or concerns following a car accident, the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm offers free consultations. We are here to help answer your questions and outline your options for seeking compensation after a collision.
How to Obtain a Spartanburg Police Department Car Accident Report
There are several options for acquiring your car accident report in Spartanburg:
In Person
The Records Division of the Spartanburg Police Department maintains all records and information related to Public Safety activities, including car accident reports. You can visit them during regular business hours at:
206 N. Forest Street
Spartanburg, SC 29306
You should bring a photo ID and the case or incident number associated with your accident. If you don’t have one or can’t locate it, the officer may be able to look up the accident based on the date, time, and location.
Reports are free for individuals who were involved in the accident, such as:
- Drivers
- Passengers
- Witnesses
- Pedestrians or bicyclists hit by a car
- Vehicle owners
- Parents or legal guardians of a minor involved in the crash
If you were not involved in the collision, a report is $3.
Online or By Mail
If visiting the Records Division is inconvenient, you can also call 864-596-2035 and provide the case number or other details of your accident. The officer will check to see if the report is online—sometimes, the process takes a few weeks.
If the report is available online, you can go to the South Carolina DMV website and request a copy. For identification purposes, you’ll be asked for your driver’s license number, social security number, and date of birth.
The SCDMV charges a $6 fee, which can be paid online in most situations.
If you have an out-of-state driver’s license, you may have to use another method to obtain your report.
When you’re unable to visit the Records Division in person or acquire your report online, you can call the number above to request a mailed copy.
What Else Do I Need After a Car Accident?
Here are some other items that are helpful to have available after a car collision:
Photos
Ideally, you should take multiple photos at the accident scene, starting with pictures of the damage to both vehicles. Try to get photos from multiple angles to ensure no damage is missed.
Additionally, we recommend photographing the rest of the scene as well—the road (particularly any tire marks you notice), the area around the road, any nearby landmarks like signs, debris from the collision, etc. You never know what might be helpful.
However, we realize that the circumstances may not be ideal, and sometimes, people are unable to take pictures immediately after a crash due to injuries or other distractions. If this happens, take photos of your vehicle as soon as you can, or ask a friend or relative to do it if you’re badly injured.
Receipts
Try to save all receipts for medical care or related expenses, including out-of-pocket costs like prescriptions, mobility aids, copays, etc. If you have to travel to seek care from a specialist, save any travel-related receipts for expenses like gas for your car.
Insurance Information
Following an accident, you should always exchange contact and insurance information with the other driver. Even if you believe you know who was at fault, it’s good to have your insurance policy number and the other driver’s policy number available.
In some accidents, the fault may be shared between drivers.
Contact Information for Any Witnesses
If there are any witnesses at the scene who weren’t in the collision, try to obtain their names and contact info in case we need to follow up with them. Sometimes, a police report may be inconclusive or disputed.
What Should You Do Next After Obtaining Your Spartanburg Police Report?
Before you speak with the insurance company, we recommend consulting an experienced car accident lawyer to learn more about the accident and your options. The CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm is always available for a free consultation.
We’ll be happy to review your South Carolina accident report, answer your questions, and explain the possibilities for recovering damages. There is no obligation, but if we take your case, you won’t pay anything until we win or settle it.
Attorney Ali Awad founded the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm only a few years ago and has since turned it into one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country. He and his team have recovered millions of dollars in compensation for injured people and their families with a 99.5 percent success rate.
When Mr. Awad isn’t fighting for his clients in the courtroom or the boardroom, he posts no-nonsense legal advice for over a million followers on social media. If you would like to work with him, call him today at (864) 664-3865.
