Every day when you leave your house to commute to work in a vehicle, you make it a point to put on your seatbelt. Furthermore, you take all the necessary precautions to reach work safely. However, on average 6 million car accidents take place in the US per year!
Car accidents are one of those incidents that put you in shock at times. If you have suffered any injuries, then you will be taking time off of work to heal. Many times, the injuries from car accidents crop up much later.
Once you deal with the trauma and try to regain the confidence you used to have driving on the road again, you will realize there are more things that slipped your mind. You will want to have a copy of your accident report so you can check the facts.
What Is Included in an Accident Report?
Most car owners get insurance policies against their vehicles to safeguard themselves if they are to be a victim of any accidents. If you have been in a car accident, then you will need Accident reports to claim your insurance or contest a lawsuit.
To understand the importance of why you need an accident report for the process, let’s start with what a vehicle accident report is. This report is generated by the police officer who responded to your request for assistance after the car accident took place.
It usually includes a summary of what happened during the crash. It includes both facts and opinions of the investigating officer. Below are some common details that all car accident police reports MUST include:
Standard Information
Under this section, details like the date and time of the car accident are included. The specifics of the location including the county, town, street number, and any other details that mark it are mentioned. The weather conditions at the time that the accident took place should also be described.
Parties Involved
All the parties that were involved in the accident must be clearly stated. Pertinent information of each driver along with their car details, if they wear any corrective eyewear that was missing at the time of the accident, and so on should be cited.
Passengers And Witnesses
If you plan to contest a case, then you will need to have witnesses who will speak on your behalf. The information of all the passengers and witnesses present during the car crash is a key element that you definitely need to make sure is noted properly.
Passengers are often the best witnesses of an incident, so make sure their details are present in the report.
How to Get a Police Report for a Car Accident
The investigating officer will provide you with a reference slip that can be presented to get a copy of the report. However, if you do not have or know this reference number, then you can access Accident Records company to guide you on how to get the reports.
You will need to enter your name and other details of the accident. They will then help you to locate the report and also offer professional legal assistance if you want to contest a case.
Why Do You Need an Accurate Car Accident Police Report?
If the report is incomplete or inaccurate, then you will find it hard to claim insurance. Though the insurance companies generally have an investigation of their own, it will still take the police report into consideration. Based on the facts on the reports, the insurance company will decide which party was at fault.
The information present on the report is evidence that can be used against you in civil or criminal court. This information can be factual or the opinion of the officer. In such cases wherein you plan to file a lawsuit, you will need to present this accident report.
As most people are not aware of all the rules of evidence, generally they take the assistance of a legal attorney to represent them. At the stage where the case goes for trial to a superior court, all information present in the accident report will be reviewed critically.
When the police report doesn’t appear factual to you, this is the first red flag that you should get an attorney on your side. Getting the right attorney will help you present your side of the case in the proper light.
Below are three points to sum up the importance of getting a police report.
- When you present a police report for insurance claims or lawsuits, it shows that you followed the law and reported the car accident. The law states that every person who is involved in a vehicle accident must immediately inform the local authorities about the incident.
- The report will help state the cause of the accident. This will help you in claiming compensation if you were not at fault. In case of the absence of the report, the insurance company will question the validity of your cause. Don’t give them any reason to do so and risk losing your claim.
- The accident report provides clues to which party was at fault during the accident. It will have important details of who the police officer believed to have caused the accident and how.
In case the report is not clear, then that could cloud your claims. You may end up paying for damages caused to all the vehicles included, medical assistance for passengers, and more. Key witnesses could be overlooked who can give important indications of who was at fault.
Recover a Copy of Your Accident Report Today!
To be able to know where you stand after the accident, an accident report copy is mandatory. This will provide you with a clear idea of what happened and what is stated. Sometimes, the opinions of the police officer of what they think had happened can completely mislead the case.
So if you have been involved in a vehicle accident, it is absolutely critical that you get your copy of the report at the earliest by all means. You can Get Started immediately and take the assistance of getting your accident report by visiting the website of Accident Records. Whether you need your report in New York, Tennessee, Texas or most other states, get your report and know your legal options.
If you feel that the report is not clear, you can ask their legal experts and you can also read our other blog articles.