How to Get a Police Report After a Car Accident in Morgantown, WV

One of the most important steps to take after being involved in a car accident is to obtain a police report. This document is viewed by insurance companies and others as an unbiased source of information about the accident and will be important to establish what happened in any future settlement discussions or legal proceedings. 

Obtaining a police report is a fairly straightforward process. In this post, our car accident lawyers will discuss how to get a police report after a car accident in Morgantown, WV, why a police report is important, and how to file and amend a police report after a car accident.

How to Get a Police Report

Law enforcement officers are required to prepare a report after investigating a car accident involving death, injuries, and/or apparent property damage of $1,000 or more within 24 hours after completing their investigation. To request a copy of a police report:

Contact the Appropriate Police Department

If the accident happened in Morgantown, call the Morgantown Police Department’s non-emergency line at (304) 284-7522, option 0, and request a report. You will need to provide key information, including the date the accident happened, the names of the drivers, and the names of any pedestrians who were injured. 

If the West Virginia State Police investigated the accident because it happened on a highway or interstate, call 304-746-2128. You might be able to ask that a copy of the report be mailed to your home. If not, you will have to pick one up in person. 

Alternatively, you can download, complete, and mail in the state police Crash Report Request Form. Instructions for mailing are included on the form.

Pay the Associated Fee

As of February 2025, you will have to pay a fee of $11 for a police report from the Morgantown Police Department. To obtain a crash report from the West Virginia State Police, the fee is $20 plus an additional $1 per page for each page over 50. Please note that fees may change over time.

Why a Police Report is Important

A police report is a vital record of what the investigating officer believes happened in an accident. It includes key details like when the accident occurred, the people and vehicles involved, what may have caused it, whether any injuries were sustained, the extent of any property damage, the names of and contact information for any witnesses, etc.

Interested parties consider a police report to be an objective account of what occurred. In particular, insurance companies rely on the police report of an accident to establish what happened and process any resulting claims. The report also is important to resolve any disputes with an adjuster.

In addition, the police report can and will be read thoroughly by all parties and their attorneys should a personal injury lawsuit be filed relating to the accident. Among other things, the report can be used in settlement discussions, helping to resolve issues such as who was at fault. For example, it might contain statements from witnesses alleging negligent behavior by one the drivers or indicate that a driver received a citation.

How to File a Police Report After a Car Accident

If someone dies or is injured in a car accident, and/or if there is at least $1,000 of apparent property damage, West Virginia drivers are required to immediately report the accident to local police if the crash occurred within a municipality. Otherwise, they must report it to the office of the county sheriff or the nearest office of the West Virginia State Police. 

To file a police report after an accident in Morgantown, WV, call the Morgantown Police Department. Accident reports cannot be filed online in West Virginia.

For their part, as noted above, law enforcement officers are required to investigate an accident that meets the above criteria and prepare a report. An officer will come to the scene and attempt to assess what happened by interviewing drivers and witnesses. They also will note the weather and road conditions and other important details.

There is no requirement under West Virginia law to report accidents that do not involve deaths, injuries, or apparent property damage of at least $1,000. However, because it can be difficult to estimate the amount of property damage, and because injuries may not appear right away, it is best to report every accident to be on the safe side.

Finally, note that car accidents that result in property damage of at least $500 and/or injuries or death must be reported to the West Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles. 

How to Amend a Police Report

Due to the stress of an accident, it is common for people involved to provide inaccurate information in their initial report to the police. If you later determine that there are factual errors in the report, call the police department and ask about the appropriate steps to correct them.

If You Were Injured, Call an Experienced Attorney

Miley Legal fights for injured car accident victims in West Virginia every day. Get assistance from a West Virginia truck accident lawyer, or call about a motorcycle, car, or other vehicle crash. We would be happy to help you.