Car accident in Fort Worth: your report, your tow bill and when to find a lawyer

Last checked November 8, 2026

After a car wreck in Fort Worth, buy your police report on TxDOT's CRIS site for $6.12 It can take up to 14 days to appear.3 You generally have 2 years to sue in Texas.4 If a City of Fort Worth vehicle hit you, written notice is due within 180 days unless you show good cause.5

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Road map of Fort Worth showing I-20 and I-820, where TxDOT's Southeast Connector work is under way
Fort Worth crash reports come from TxDOT's CRIS site and cost $6. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

How do I get my car accident report in Fort Worth?

  1. Look at the card or paper the officer gave you. It tells you which agency wrote the report and gives you the crash number.
  2. If it was Fort Worth Police, go to TxDOT's CRIS purchase site. The department has pointed people there since December 15, 2024.1 A plain copy is $6, and a certified one is $2 more.26
  3. If it was the Tarrant County Sheriff, use CRIS too, and plan on about three weeks before it shows up.78
  4. No result after 14 days on a Fort Worth Police report? Call Records at 817-392-4160.9 An empty search can mean the report is not approved yet.2

Read it closely. If your name, plate or the direction of travel is wrong, call Records soon, before an adjuster relies on it.

Do I have to call police after a fender bender in Fort Worth?

If anyone is hurt, or a car cannot be driven safely, Texas says the driver must report it right away to police or the sheriff.10 Call 911 from the scene. For something that is not an emergency, the Fort Worth Police non-emergency line is 817-392-4222.11

If no officer comes, there may be no CR-3 report to buy later. TxDOT does not keep the driver forms people fill out on their own, so hold on to your copy.12 Take photos of both cars, the plates, the street signs and the other driver's insurance card before anyone moves.

Which Fort Worth roads have work zones that can affect my crash?

Two big TxDOT jobs change the lanes drivers are used to. The Southeast Connector is rebuilding and widening about 16 miles of I-20 and I-820, and TxDOT estimates it will finish in 2028.1314 On the west side, three more projects cover I-20 and I-30 between Aledo and west Fort Worth.15

If your wreck happened near barrels, a lane shift or a sudden merge, take pictures of the signs and how the lanes looked that day. Work zones get moved. A contractor can share the blame if the setup was unsafe, but that has to be shown, and the photos may be the only record you have.

Do not assume freeways are the main danger. In Tarrant County in 2025, 74 people died on city streets and 58 on interstates.16 Across the 12-county region, 196 people died at or near an intersection in 2024.17 Fort Worth alone counted 15,680 crashes in 2025, with 562 people seriously injured.18

What will my tow cost if police moved my car in Fort Worth?

Police tows run through AutoReturn. Use its Fort Worth search page or call 817-349-4022 to find your car.19 Here is how a five-day stay can add up under the fees the city posted as of October 2023:

ChargeAmount
Standard tow$18020
Administrative fee$3221
Storage, 5 days at $22.85$114.2522
Notification fee after letters go out at 48 hours$5023
TotalAbout $376.25

Every extra day costs more, so ask your own insurer or the other driver's insurer today whether it will pay. Get the answer in writing and keep the receipts.

How much insurance does the other driver need in Fort Worth?

Texas requires at least $30,000 per person and $60,000 per crash for injuries, plus $25,000 for property.24 A week in the hospital can pass $30,000 fast. If you land at JPS or Texas Health Harris Methodist Fort Worth, both Level I trauma centers, keep every bill.2526

That is why your own policy matters. Texas policies include uninsured motorist coverage unless a named insured turned it down in writing.27 Ask your agent for a copy of any rejection form before you assume you have none.

Can I still get paid if I was partly at fault in Fort Worth?

Yes, as long as your share is not more than 50 percent.28 Expect the other insurer to look for any reason to raise your number. A seat belt is one of them. A jury may hear you were not buckled, but only if the defense shows it caused or worsened your injuries.29

What if a city truck or Trinity Metro bus hit my car in Fort Worth?

The clock is much shorter. For the City of Fort Worth, send written notice within 180 days to HR/Risk Management, 200 Texas Street, or to [email protected].53031 State how it happened, the amount of damages and what you would settle for.32 City adjusters handle these claims in-house.33

Other Texas government bodies, including Tarrant County, usually need notice within 6 months.34 Trinity Metro can be reached at 817-215-8600, but we could not find a published claim form for it.35

What should I ask a car accident lawyer in Fort Worth?

  • Which insurers can pay in my case, and is my own uninsured coverage in play?
  • Do my medical bills already go past the other driver's limits?
  • Is anyone besides the driver responsible, such as a road contractor?
  • What share of any recovery goes to fees and costs, and what do I owe if we lose?

Questions

How long do I have to file after a car accident in Fort Worth?

Generally 2 years to file a lawsuit.4 A claim against the City of Fort Worth needs written notice within 180 days unless you show good cause.5

Where do I buy a Fort Worth Police accident report?

On TxDOT's CRIS site for $6.12 Give it up to 14 days to appear.3

I got rear-ended in Fort Worth and the driver has no insurance. Now what?

Check your own policy. Texas policies include uninsured motorist coverage unless a named insured rejected it in writing.27

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Fort Worth

Car accident

Texas

Sources

  1. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “Effective December 15, 2024, requestors should use the website below to request an accident report(s)”
  2. Fort Worth Police, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “for $6.00. If your search for a report returns no results, the report has not been approved.”
  3. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “It can take up to 14 days from the date of the crash for your crash to appear in the search results.”
  4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003(a), checked 2026-11-08. “a person must bring suit for trespass for injury to the estate or to the property of another, conversion of personal property, taking or detaining the personal property of another, personal injury, forcible entry and detainer, and forcible detainer not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues.”
  5. Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter XXVII, Section 25, checked 2026-11-08. “within one hundred eighty (180) days after the same has been sustained, unless good cause is shown”
  6. Fort Worth Police, FAQs, checked 2026-11-08. “Certified copies of an accident report can be obtained for an additional $2.00.”
  7. Tarrant County Sheriff, Accident Report Request, checked 2026-11-08. “Copies of crash reports must be purchased directly from CRIS.”
  8. Tarrant County Sheriff, Accident Report Request, checked 2026-11-08. “approximately three weeks from the date of the accident”
  9. Fort Worth Police, Get a Copy of My Accident Report, checked 2026-11-08. “please call the Police Records unit at 817-392-4160 for assistance”
  10. Tex. Transp. Code § 550.026(a), checked 2026-11-08. “The operator of a vehicle involved in a collision resulting in injury to or death of a person or damage to a vehicle to the extent that it cannot be normally and safely driven shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice of the collision”
  11. Fort Worth Police, Contact, checked 2026-11-08. “To report a non-emergency 817-392-4222”
  12. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “Drivers involved in a crash not investigated by a police officer who were provided a CR-2 or similar local agency form should retain this information for their records.”
  13. TxDOT, Southeast Connector, checked 2026-11-08. “rebuild and widen approximately 16 miles of I-20 and I-820”
  14. TxDOT, Southeast Connector, checked 2026-11-08. “The Southeast Connector project is estimated for completion in 2028.”
  15. TxDOT, Keep 20-30 Moving, checked 2026-11-08. “corridors between Aledo and west Fort Worth in Tarrant and Parker counties”
  16. TxDOT, 2025 Fatal Crashes and Fatalities by County and Road Type, checked 2026-11-08. “Tarrant 56 58 40 40 10 10 0 0 73 74 6 7 1 1 0 0 186 190”
  17. NCTCOG, Regional Crash Fact Sheet, Calendar Year 2024, checked 2026-11-08. “there were 196 people killed in crashes occurring at or related to an intersection”
  18. TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries Cities and Towns, checked 2026-11-08. “FORT WORTH 109 112 475 562 2,665 3,568 2,296 3,616 9,533 32,368 602 2,351 15,680”
  19. Fort Worth Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “customer service at 817-349-4022”
  20. Fort Worth Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “Standard: $180.00”
  21. Fort Worth Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “Administrative fee: $32.00”
  22. Fort Worth Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “Storage fee: $22.85 per day. Over 25 feet: $39.99 per day”
  23. Fort Worth Police, Auto Pound, checked 2026-11-08. “Notification letters will be sent to the last known owner/lien holder after 48 hours”
  24. Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1), checked 2026-11-08. “(1) $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision; (2) $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision, subject to the amount provided by Subdivision (1) for bodily injury to or death of one of the persons; and (3) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision.”
  25. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “JOHN PETER SMITH HOSPITAL 11/1/2028 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  26. Texas DSHS, Texas Trauma Facilities, checked 2026-11-08. “TEXAS HEALTH HARRIS METHODIST HOSPITAL FORT WORTH 1/1/2029 E FORT WORTH 76104”
  27. Tex. Ins. Code § 1952.101(b)-(c), checked 2026-11-08. “unless the insurer provides uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage in the policy or supplemental to the policy. (c) The coverage required by this subchapter does not apply if any insured named in the insurance policy rejects the coverage in writing.”
  28. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.”
  29. Nabors Well Servs., Ltd. v. Romero, No. 13-0136 (Tex. Feb. 13, 2015), checked 2026-11-08. “Today we overrule it and hold that relevant evidence of use or nonuse of seat belts is admissible for the purpose of apportioning responsibility in civil lawsuits. [...] The defendant can establish the relevance of seat-belt nonuse only with evidence that nonuse caused or contributed to cause the plaintiff’s injuries.”
  30. City of Fort Worth, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “HR/Risk Management 200 Texas Street Fort Worth, Texas 76102”
  31. City of Fort Worth, Notice of Claim Form, checked 2026-11-08. “[email protected]”
  32. Fort Worth City Charter, Chapter XXVII, Section 25, checked 2026-11-08. “the amount of damages, the amount for which the claimant will settle”
  33. City of Fort Worth, Risk Management, checked 2026-11-08. “Third-party liability claims against the City and subrogation efforts by the City are handled internally by licensed claims adjusters.”
  34. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  35. Trinity Metro, TEXRail brochure, March 2026, checked 2026-11-08. “Customer Support and Solutions 817-215-8600”

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