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If you have been involved in a motor vehicle accident caused by another driver in Wyoming, the investigating police officer normally fills out an official accident report. This report, officially known as the “Wyoming Investigator’s Traffic Crash Report,” contains a wealth of information about your accident. Insurance companies responsible for compensating injury victims carefully review these reports when deciding how much money to pay people hurt in an accident.
However, understanding your 8-page-long accident report can be challenging, especially if you have never been involved in a serious crash in Wyoming. That’s why it’s important to know how to read your report and verify the accuracy of the information filled out by the Wyoming Highway Patrol officer or local police officer.
Wyoming Investigator’s Traffic Crash Report
https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/wy_par_pr902_rev_1_9_07_sub_5_24_07.pdf
Page 1
The top of this page contains information about the exact date, time and location of your accident. The investigating police officer will also note whether an ambulance responded to the accident, if the accident was a hit and run crash and the estimated monetary value of the damages sustained by the vehicles involved in the crash. If you disagree with any of this information – particularly the estimated value of the damages to your vehicle – notify the investigating police officer. Otherwise, the other driver’s insurance company may dispute the value of your accident claim.
Click here to download a printable PDF of How To Read Your Wyoming Car Accident Report.
The bottom of this page lists the name and other identifying information for the police officer who investigated your crash. The officer will likely be a local police officer or a state trooper with the Wyoming Highway Patrol. If you need to reach the officer for any reason about your accident, you can find their contact information here.
Page 2
The top of page two contains the name, address and other personal information for driver one involved in the motor vehicle accident. The driver’s insurance information can also be found here, along with the point of impact on their vehicle, if the vehicle was towed and which part of the vehicle sustained the most damage in the car accident.
The bottom of page two contains similar information about driver two involved in the motor vehicle accident. If you are listed as either driver one or driver two, carefully review all of the information about yourself and your accident, including the point of impact and which part of the vehicle the investigating officer claims sustained the most damage.
Page 3
The top of page three contains the codes for numerous details about each vehicle occupant. Such information includes the seat position of a person involved in the accident, if an air bag was deployed in the crash and if the person was ejected from the vehicle. In addition, there are five different sets of codes related to a person’s injury, include codes involving a person’s “injury status,” “injury description,” “most injured area,” “injury classification” and “injury transported by” if the injury victim was transported by an ambulance or helicopter.
The bottom of page three contains the codes listed above for each person involved in the accident. This includes all drivers, passengers, pedestrians, cyclists or anyone else injured or involved in the crash.
Page 4
This page contains vehicle information for vehicle one about the cause of the motor vehicle accident. The investigating police officer will note whether vehicle one was involved in a collision or non-collision accident and what was the “most harmful event” in the accident. This page also contains a section for up to four sequence of events that resulted in the accident, along with 23 codes for contributing circumstances for the accident.
Page 5
This page contains similar information found on page four for the second vehicle involved in the accident. Whether you were the driver or passenger in vehicle one or two, carefully review all the information on both pages. Any discrepancy could result in your accident claim being denied or reduced by the at-fault driver’s insurance company.
Page 6
The top of this page contains additional information about driver number one involved in the accident. Such information includes the driver’s actions (speeding, improper passing, etc.), whether the driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs and if any traffic citations were issued by the investigating police officer.
The bottom of this page contains similar information listed on the top of the page for driver number two involved in the crash. If you were either driver one or driver two, review both parts of the page and make sure you agree with the investigating police officer’s assessment of what happened in the crash.
Page 7
This page contains what is described as “base information” about the accident. Such information includes the “first harmful event” in the crash, including what either vehicle crashed into during the accident. This page also contains information about weather conditions, road conditions, lighting and whether the accident took place in a work zone, at an intersection and the manner of the collision (rear end, head on, etc.).
Page 8
The top of this page contains space for the investigating officer to draw a diagram of the motor vehicle accident. Verify whether you agree with the officer’s drawing of your crash. If you believe the vehicles were positioned differently at the time of impact, make a note and tell the investigating officer.
The middle of this page contains space for the investigating officer to describe the accident. The officer’s accident narrative carries a lot of weight with insurance companies. Carefully review each word and decide whether you believe the officer’s description matches your memory of the crash. If there are any discrepancies, tell the investigating officer.
The bottom of this page contains the names, addresses and other contact information for any witnesses who saw what happened in your car accident. Eyewitness testimony can be powerful evidence in support of an accident claim. If you are aware of someone who saw your crash and they are not listed here, tell the investigating police officer and ask them to add that person to the list of witnesses.
