When you or someone you know is involved in a motor vehicle accident, it is important to contact law enforcement. When law enforcement arrives at the scene of the accident they will document their version of what occurred based on evidence and information provided by you, the other party, or any witnesses. With this information they will file a police report. This police report can almost make or break any potential personal injury claim, should you or someone you know decide to pursue one. Reason being, the police report assists insurance companies and the attorneys in determining who was negligent in the motor vehicle accident.
No matter if you or a passenger was injured or caused the accident, the police report will help with a claim. Once the claim is made and an accident has been reported to an insurance company, the investigation begins. The police report is the cherry on top. This is because the police who filed a report have an unbiased investigation to what happened and what may have caused the accident. With information provided by examining the scene, they can often determine very accurately who did what to cause the accident.
Information in a Police Report
The police report will include:
- The day the incident occurred
- The time a call came in
- An estimate of how the accident may have actually occurred
- The location of the accident
- A list of all parties involved including any witnesses that may have seen the accident
- The owner’s and the driver’s contact information and insurance information
- The weather
- The road conditions
- Any property damage that occurred
- The make year and model of the vehicle.
This information will come from the two drivers, and it may also come from a witness. This information helps determine who is liable, therefore helps determine who can pursue a claim and who will likely be successful in reaching a settlement. Should you or someone you know would be involved in a motor vehicle accident, always remember to contact law enforcement because a police report can make all of the difference in your case.
Contact an Attorney
If you or someone you know was in a car accident, contact an attorney, like a traffic violation attorney from Andrew R. Lynch, P.C., for assistance.