How to obtain and read a North Carolina Crash Report form (DMV-349)

How to obtain the North Carolina Crash Report form (DMV-349)?

If you are involved in a car, truck or motorcycle accident in North Carolina, you probably will want to get a copy of your accident report. Reports are not prepared for every accident. Sometimes the only form that you will have is the Driver Exchange Form which lists the names, addresses for the drivers involved in the accident and their insurance companies. However, if the accident results in a fatality, personal injury, property damage of more than $ 1,000.00 or if the police seized a vehicle, then the office must prepare a crash report.

There are several websites in which to search for the report. Some county and city police departments have a P2C (Police to Citizen) website where you can find the reports. For example, the Greensboro Police Department’s crash report website is http://p2c.greensboro-nc.gov/. Other county and city police departments might have a www.PoliceReports.US/ website. For example, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department’s crash report website can be found at http://cmpd.policereports.us/. Crash reports are typically available 24-72 hours after the accident. If the accident happened on an interstate and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol investigated the accident, then the report can be found on the Department of Public Safety’s website at http://www.ncdps.gov/. If the report cannot be found online, then you might have to pay a visit to the local police department or you might have to submit a Crash Report Request Form (TR-67A) to the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles at 3105 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-3105.

Finding the crash report is easy, but you will need some basic information to find the report, such as the date of the accident and names of the drivers. Some websites charge a nominal fee of $0.00 to $6.00 to download the report, but if you get it in person at the local police department it is often free.

How to read the North Carolina Crash Report form (DMV-349)?

The reports contain numbered boxes, and these boxes contain numeric codes. An instruction manual for the crash report form can be found on the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s website at http://www.ncdot.gov/download/dmv/DMV349_Instruction_Manual.pdf, and a key for the numeric codes can be found at http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentID=11852 or at http://www.actar.org/pdf/nc_ovl1.pdf.

Boxes 1 through 7 pertain to the general crash information such as night/day, weather and road conditions. Boxes 8 through 19 contain information about the crash itself, such as whether or not the roadway condition or a driver’s error contributed to the crash. Boxes 21 through 32 contain information about the drivers, passengers, witnesses and any potential insurance companies. While all of the boxes are important, most insurance companies will initially look at Section 12 regarding injury status and Section 44 regarding property damage. Also, because of the defense of contributory negligence in North Carolina, the bottom of page 2, which list any traffic tickets or violations issued, is of particular importance.

In sum, car, truck or motorcycle accidents in North Carolina can be quite complex. If you or someone you know is injured, due to the negligence of another, or for any reason, call an experienced personal injury attorney for a free consultation regarding your potential claim.