POLICE REPORT IN AN ACCIDENT: WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO ASK FOR IT

Attention to victims / P(A)T reports

POLICE REPORT IN AN ACCIDENT: WHAT IS IT AND HOW TO ASK FOR IT

Being such a relevant document, we cannot allow that, if you need it, you cannot get a copy. From P(A)T we help you.

The police report is a public document that reflects all the actions carried out by the traffic police. The report must contain a series of data: the date and place of the accident, the parties that have intervened and the vehicles involved, the description of how the events occurred and the participation of the people involved, the statement of witnesses, if any, the performance of tests (they may contain sketches, photographs, results of alcohol or drug tests, etc.) and the report of the intervening agents on the cause of the accident and possible responsibility.

It is an official document that is prepared objectively and acts as a judicial police for the investigation of the commission of possible crimes against road safety. Therefore, a report is prepared when there have been serious or deceased victims or there are indications of the commission of a crime against road safety and in these cases the drivers involved in the accident must always be tested for alcohol and/or drugs. . It is therefore a very important document in the event of a traffic accident to preserve the rights of the victims and clarify the facts and that, after the ratification of the acting agents, has probative value before the courts of justice, so it will be essential to determine criminal and civil liability for damages caused by the accident.

We should not confuse the report, which we could say is the document that reflects the investigation of an accident, with the “Accident report or part”, which is a much shorter document and in which the traffic police describe how the accident occurred. claim, the data of the parties involved and the insurance companies and the assessment of the facts.

As a victim of an accident, we can directly request a copy of the accident statement or report, but this process can also be carried out by third parties with the victim’s DNI and consent authorization (for example, a specialist lawyer or family member).

Once prepared, it is possible to request a copy of the report at any time, without, therefore, a specific deadline, but the most common thing is that its completion by the police takes a few weeks.

The report must be requested at the corresponding police offices, specifically, at the police station of the police force that attended the incident. It should also be noted that depending on which police body has produced the report, the payment of fees will be different:

  • Mossos d’Esquadra (Catalan interurban roads). Pay the fee BEFORE receiving the copy of the statement €61.35 for each report you want to obtain.
    • In person at the corresponding police station.
  • Policía Local (urban roads). In general, pay the fee AFTER receiving the copy, although some local police, by protocol, only provide the copy of the statement to insurers or legal assistance.
    • Online with digital certificate: authority in the town hall.
      • Example of Barcelona City Guard:
        • Online in trámites. Rate: €98.68 with one photograph and €3.12 more for each additional photograph.
    • In person at the corresponding police station.
      • Example of Barcelona City Guard:
        • You have to go to the police station C/ Guardia Urbana nº 3-5 in Barcelona (from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday). Rate: €117.68 with one photograph and €3.73 more for each additional photograph.
  • Guardia Civil (special assumptions). There are no fees related to receiving a copy of the statement.
    • In person at the corresponding police station.

In the event that judicial proceedings have been opened, the statement will be in the initiated procedure, and we can go to the Courts to obtain the copy, taking into account that depending on the judicial procedure, it will be necessary to go with a lawyer and attorney.

 

If you require more information, you can contact us at pat-apat@pat-apat.org or by calling 93 301 37 78 (from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday).

From P(A)T we are claiming the free copy of the statement, since we, the victims, are the ones who are harmed by the incident and an economic damage is added by this costly procedure in such difficult times.