Ottawa police plan to raise motor vehicle accident report costs: A concern to accident victims

OTTAWA ACCIDENT LAWYER – According to the CBC, Ottawa Police Chief, Vern White, is planning to raise the cost of vehicle accident reports from the current $48.00 to close to $3,300.00.  According to Chief White, the $3,300.00 cost is proportional to the cost of the actual work involved in the report.

Payment for the motor vehicle accident report is currently a disbursement which most personal injury lawyers incur on behalf of their clients who are injured in motor vehicle accidents.  The amount has steadily climbed over the last five years, a dollar at a time.  The proposed jump to $3,300.00 will be a significant deterrent for many personal injury lawyers who use the motor vehicle accident report to evaluate whether or not their clients have a case worth pursuing.

Without the motor vehicle accident report, it is difficult to interpret what may have happened in complicated motor vehicle accidents involving multiple vehicles.  This may be a barrier for some accident victims trying to determine if they have a viable case.  Our firm will be looking for solutions to this issue for prospective clients.

Although the lawyer will frequently pay the cost of the motor vehicle accident report upfront, ultimately it is a disbursement that is recovered in a lawsuit in most cases.

There is no date announced for when this hefty increase is to take effect.