I frequently do subro work for cars hitting buildings. Many times I can't get a police report even after many requests. In California we can send a form to the state capitol in Sacramento requesting one of the following:
* vehicle ownership/accident history
* list of all vehicles owned by a party
* driver license info including photo, address
(you can't ask for everything on one form, you might need to send more than one version of the form if you want more than one category of info)
This info is available to insurance adjusters (you have to have a legitimate reason to request the info)
link:
http://www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/inf/inf70.htm For commercial vehicles (trucks) with a Motor Carrier License you can also request a copy of the insurance certificate.
Calif DMV now has vehicle registration tied electronically to insurance so perhaps we can now get insurance info on personal vehicles, I haven't done that yet.
Other states probably offer the same info - for legitimate requesters like adjusters.
I use the INF70 form to find the address of the driver and send a subro letter, if I can't get a police report.
Back to police reports as the first thing to request: in California there could be 3 or more law enforcement agencies that respond- Highway Patrol, Sheriff's Dept, Local City Police, neighboring city police. If the Fire Dept. rolled, sometimes that report can be requested and then used to find the police report.
We also have laws regarding how the police have to share the info, within reason. Police are reluctant to share gory photos after some scandals we have had. Also they will hold the report forever when there is a crime involved. But the adjuster can negotiate, and explain that he only wants certain info or certain photos.
I have used public websites to track people down. I pulled a criminal history for one lady, discovering that she had a record in Texas for public drunkenness. Those websites are legal and available for anyone that wants to pay the $20-$40. Your intellius thing might be better. In California it is a bit more restrictive on what info you can get.
You would be surprised how many time law enforcement uses Facebook.
If you are using Google to locate someone with a common name, add another keyword. For example if you are searching for a Dallas Texas adjuster named Bob Smith, search for " 'Bob Smith' Dallas adjuster". Obviously this person will be in the TX DOI database. Also, instead of searching by name, search Google for their email address, phone number, or address. For example if someone has 3 businesses at one address, you will discover that when you search the street address.