Following a car accident, one of the first things you should do is call the police. Calling the police to the accident scene ensures details of your accident are recorded. On arriving, the police will perform several tasks. They will inspect vehicles involved in the crash, talk to witness, take photographs and so on. The information they gather will be used to complete a police accident report. This report is vital if you want to pursue a personal injury claim against a negligent driver.
What Details Does a Police Accident Report Contain?
A police accident report is a summary of a police officer’s investigations into an accident. The report will most often include the following information
- Time, date and location of the accident
- Names, contact and insurance details of parties involved in the car accident
- Contact details of witnesses
- Damage to vehicles involved in the collision
- Weather conditions, state of the road and lighting in the area if the crash happened at night
- Diagram of the accident
- Statements given to the investigating officer by the drivers of vehicles involved and witnesses.
- Officer’s opinion on the cause of the accident and party at fault.
Because of the wealth of information in this report, most insurance companies will ask for it should you seek damages. The information contained in the report will help them with their investigations into the cause of the accident. It is, therefore, a crucial piece of evidence that will greatly help in getting your claim paid.
How Can Your Atlanta Car Accident Attorney Get a Copy of a Police Accident Report?
If you’re involved in a car accident and you’re not at fault, talk to a car accident lawyer in Atlanta. First the attorney will investigate your case and determine if you have a valid personal injury claim. To do this, they would need to get their hands on the police accident report. To get the report, the Atlanta car accident attorney can:
- Visit BuyCrash. Atlanta has partnered with this site to make it easy for car accident victims to download police reports. To access the report your lawyer would need to key in some details. They would need your name, the date of the crash, the location and the vehicle identification number (VIN). You should note they will be charged for the report. The fee is about $11. If your accident report isn’t available, the site will send it when it’s ready if the lawyer leaves their email.
- Contact the Atlanta Police Department Central Records Unit. Details such as your name and VIN will also be required to get access to the report. Police accident reports are usually available five days after reporting a car crash. To get the report from the police you will also be charged. The fee is less than $10.
Once your Atlanta car accident attorney gets the police accident report, you should go through it with them. Doing so will ensure the information recorded is factual. If there are any errors, you must contact the police offer who wrote the report. You must, therefore, ensure you get the name of the officer at the scene of the accident. A responding officer should give you the accident report number and instructions on how to get the accident report. If you, however, don’t get this contact the Atlanta Police Department Public Affairs office. They should help you locate the reporting officer.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer in Atlanta
If you’re involved in a car accident caused by a reckless driver, you should be compensated so seek legal help from Ted A. Greve & Associates. Our skilled Atlanta car accidents attorneys have the necessary experience to get you damages for injuries caused by the accident. Getting your police accident report will be the first step we take to assess if you have a valid claim. If your claim is valid, we will work to get you the maximum settlement for your injuries and losses.
Don’t take too long to get in touch. You have a two year period to file your claim and the earlier you start the claim process the better. Call the police immediately after your accident. Get medical treatment then get in touch with us. We offer free consultations and will not charge any legal fees until you get compensated. Call us today at 884-387-8677 and we will start on your case immediately.
