After an accident on the busy highways around Camarillo, you may see a California Highway Patrol (CHP) car on the scene. A CHP officer will secure the scene and make sure injured victims get the emergency care they need. Then they’ll be investigating what happened and taking down information on who was involved and what car insurance provider each driver uses.
Once the picture is clearer about how an accident occurred, the officer will have to write up a collision report of their view of what happened. If you are struck by a careless or reckless driver, you may need to secure this important document to help show you weren’t to blame for your crash.
A CHP Accident Report After a Camarillo Accident
After an accident, you may need to file an injury claim with the at-fault driver’s auto insurance company. This claim is supposed to secure assistance with medical bills for innocent victims. Your claim may also ask for help with paying for major car damage or even to replace a “totaled” car.
It may be necessary to show proof that you weren’t to blame for what happened, or that you were actually involved in the accident you are hoping to receive support for. A CHP accident report can help you in proving what happened.
California Highway Patrol officers may show up at your accident scene on Highway 101 or Highway 34. In fact, a member of the Highway Patrol can assist in any accident in and around Camarillo. If they are the lead investigators, they’ll write up and submit a police report.
If you have a Camarillo car accident lawyer helping you secure fair compensation for your injuries, your lawyer will be securing this report for you. In an accident that only involves property damage, your own car insurance representative may be obtaining the collision report for you.
If you decide to grab the report yourself, you’ll usually need to be the Driver, Passenger, Owner of the Car, Vehicle Owner, Parent of Minor, or Legal Guardian of an individual involved in the accident to gain access.
Requesting a Collision Report from the California Highway Patrol
If you need your accident report, it’s best to make your request after waiting around a week or so. This hopefully gives the CHP officer time to complete an investigation and finish the report.
To make your request, you’ll need to fill out a collision report request form. It’s known as a CHP 190 document. You’ll find other instructions on the CHP website. You’ll want to know the location and date of your accident.
You can bring your completed form to the nearest California Highway Patrol office to your collision scene. You may also mail it in.
The CHP Branch nearest to the Camarillo area could be the Moorpark or the Ventura branch. You may already know what office the officer on the scene was working out of.
610 Spring Road
Moorpark, CA 93021-1278
(805) 553-0800
4656 Valentine Road
Ventura, CA 93003-5740
(805) 662-2640
What to Do After a Camarillo Car Accident
After a crash, you’ll want to make sure you have an accident report and other evidence to build a strong case in your defense. This helps prevent an at-fault driver’s car insurance representative from trying to blame you for an accident you didn’t cause.
Having a Camarillo car accident lawyer on your side can help in protecting you from unfair treatment from insurance adjusters. Your lawyer will also be securing your collision report for you to provide additional proof of what really happened.
Quirk Accident & Injury Attorneys, APC in Camarillo offers a free case consultation to all local victims. Contact us to schedule your free case review. There’s no obligation and it’s an easy way to find out the benefits you can demand from a car insurer. If you decide hiring us can help you earn more, you won’t need to have any money on hand. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you, and then our payment comes out of the injury settlement you receive.