How to Read Your Pennsylvania Car Accident Report
Contact us for help obtaining your crash report
When seeking compensation for a Pennsylvania car accident, evidence plays a pivotal role in making your claim successful.
Of particular significance is the police accident report, formally recognized as the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Police Crash Reporting Form (AA 500). This document is created by the police officer who responded to your accident. It tells the crash narrative and is subject to thorough examination by insurance companies in their determination of liability. That means if the report contains an error, it must be fixed right away.
How to obtain your Pennsylvania car crash report
Crash reports are typically ready within 10-14 days of an accident. To get a copy, you can contact the police department, look it up online, or have an experienced Pittsburgh car accident attorney help you. When you have an attorney obtain your police crash report, they will analyze the contents and set the record straight, if necessary.
Reading through an accident report can be challenging. The following is a brief explanation of how to read your report. And remember, if you were in an accident, the experienced Pittsburgh car accident attorneys at Hal Waldman & Associates can help you obtain your crash report and much more. We have decades of experience successfully handling car accident claims for maximum compensation. If you were injured or a loved one died in a Western Pennsylvania crash, contact us for a free case evaluation.
What’s in your Pennsylvania crash report
Here is a brief description of the information you can find on each page of a typical Pennsylvania crash report:
Page 1 (AA 500 1). The most basic crash information is on the first page. This includes time, date, place, number of people involved, and similar details.
Unit Page (AA 500 2). This page describes a single unit - a vehicle or other road user involved in the accident. One copy of this page is used for each vehicle.
Person Page (AA 500 3). Here is information about the people involved in the accident, including drivers, passengers, and non-motorists. If the accident involved more than six people, additional copies of this page may be used.
Page Five (AA 500 4). This page documents the conditions and the sequence of events that led to the accident.
Diagram & Narrative (AA 500 5). This is a pictorial diagram of the crash by the officer and a list of witnesses.
