What Do Injury Severity Codes K, A, B, C, and N Mean on a Texas CR-3 Crash Report?
Direct Answer Under Texas Law
Every occupant listed on Page 1 of a Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (Form CR-3) is assigned a single-letter KABCO Injury Severity Code by the investigating officer: K = Fatal Injury (death within 30 days); A = Suspected Serious Injury (incapacitating injury preventing walking/driving away); B = Suspected Minor Injury (visible laceration, bruise, abrasion, or limping); C = Possible Injury (complaint of neck/back pain or nausea without visible wounds); and N = Not Injured.
Critical Texas Procedural Trap to Watch Out For
If you tell the officer at the roadside 'I'm shaken up, I think I'm okay' and decline EMS checkup, the officer enters Code 'N' (Not Injured)—which insurance software (Colossus) later cites to argue you were uninjured at the scene.
Recommended Action Plan for Texas Claimants
If you feel any neck tightness, headache, dizziness, or back pain at the crash scene, tell the investigating officer immediately so your CR-3 is coded 'C' or 'B' rather than 'N', and follow up with a physician within 24–48 hours.
Detailed Texas Statutory & Case Law Breakdown
Under TxDOT Form CR-3 Instructions (MMUCC KABCO Standard); Transp. Code § 550.062 and controlling Texas appellate precedent in Guevara v. Ferrer, 247 S.W.3d 662 (Tex. 2007), Texas trial and appellate courts apply strict statutory rules to this exact issue. Unlike generic multi-state legal summaries, Texas tort procedure under the Civil Practice and Remedies Code (CPRC), Insurance Code, Transportation Code, and Labor Code enforces specific statutory formulas—including the 51% proportionate responsibility bar (CPRC § 33.001), paid-or-incurred medical expense admissibility (CPRC § 41.0105 / Haygood), and mandatory statutory lien caps (Prop. Code Ch. 55 & Ins. Code Ch. 140).
Step-by-Step Texas Procedural Checklist
- Verify the exact statutory text of TxDOT Form CR-3 Instructions (MMUCC KABCO Standard); Transp. Code § 550.062 and how Texas courts apply Guevara v. Ferrer, 247 S.W.3d 662 (Tex. 2007) in your county's appellate district.
- Beware of the Texas Procedural Trap: If you tell the officer at the roadside 'I'm shaken up, I think I'm okay' and decline EMS checkup, the officer enters Code 'N' (Not Injured)—which insurance software (Colossus) later cites to argue you were uninjured at the scene.
- Execute the Texas Action Plan: If you feel any neck tightness, headache, dizziness, or back pain at the crash scene, tell the investigating officer immediately so your CR-3 is coded 'C' or 'B' rather than 'N', and follow up with a physician within 24–48 hours.
- Preserve all physical, electronic, and medical billing records early so your CPRC § 18.001 affidavits and TRCP 194.2 Initial Disclosures are complete.
Frequently Asked Questions Under Texas Law
What Do Injury Severity Codes K, A, B, C, and N Mean on a Texas CR-3 Crash Report?
Every occupant listed on Page 1 of a Texas Peace Officer's Crash Report (Form CR-3) is assigned a single-letter KABCO Injury Severity Code by the investigating officer: K = Fatal Injury (death within 30 days); A = Suspected Serious Injury (incapacitating injury preventing walking/driving away); B = Suspected Minor Injury (visible laceration, bruise, abrasion, or limping); C = Possible Injury (complaint of neck/back pain or nausea without visible wounds); and N = Not Injured. Key Texas Trap to Avoid: If you tell the officer at the roadside 'I'm shaken up, I think I'm okay' and decline EMS checkup, the officer enters Code 'N' (Not Injured)—which insurance software (Colossus) later cites to argue you were uninjured at the scene.
What Texas statute and Supreme Court / appellate precedent control kabco injury codes on a texas cr-3 report?
This question is governed in Texas by TxDOT Form CR-3 Instructions (MMUCC KABCO Standard); Transp. Code § 550.062 and the legal standards articulated in Guevara v. Ferrer, 247 S.W.3d 662 (Tex. 2007). Recommended step: If you feel any neck tightness, headache, dizziness, or back pain at the crash scene, tell the investigating officer immediately so your CR-3 is coded 'C' or 'B' rather than 'N', and follow up with a physician within 24–48 hours.
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