We always tell our clients that there are three things they need to do after a car accident. The first thing you need to do is call the police. They’ll send someone out to the crash scene to do a thorough investigation. The second thing you need to do is go to the emergency room to be checked out by a doctor. The third thing you should do is call an experienced Carrollton car accident lawyer. Your attorney will take whatever information is provided in the police report and see if they can determine fault.
Here, we’ll discuss what kind of information is included in the police report. We’ll also explain why this report is critical to your car accident case. Finally, we’ll describe what things your Georgia injury lawyer can do to salvage your case. If you have any questions about your own car accident case, give us a call. We offer all new clients a free, initial consultation. All you have to do is call our office and pick a date and time that works for you.
You Have to Call 911 Immediately After Your Crash
Like it or not, you must call 911 immediately after your car accident. This is the only way to protect the evidence related to your crash. The police dispatcher will send two officers out to the crash scene. Once there, they’ll make sure anybody who was hurt is sent to the hospital. They will then conduct a thorough investigation of the crash.
The officers are going to check to see if either driver was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the crash. They will also put all of their investigation findings into their final report. This report will be critical to your Carrollton car accident lawyer. If you fail to call the cops, you won’t have this evidence. Sadly, there will be no way for your attorney to recover this information once the scene is cleared.
The Police Will Do a Thorough Investigation of the Accident
Once there, the cops are going to do a total and thorough investigation of the crash. They’ll talk to the drivers and passengers involved in the car accident. They’ll also talk to any eyewitnesses. They will get their contact information as well as an official statement.
The police will also make notations about the road conditions and the weather. These things can help determine who was at fault in a motor vehicle accident. Finally, the police will make notations about whether there are intersection cameras at the crash site. This information is something that will no longer be available after the road crews clear up the debris from the crash.
Your Carrollton Car Accident Lawyer Will Need a Copy of Their Report
In order to prove fault and damages, your Georgia injury lawyer is going to need a copy of the police report. You can either request this report in person, or you can go online and submit a request. Without this report, your turn is going to have a very difficult time proving your case. First of all, even if your attorney could convince the witnesses to speak with them, they’ll still have no idea how to find them. Contact information for any witnesses is usually included in the police report.
Your attorney is also going to rely on this report to tell them what the police thought happened regarding the crash. Police officers in Georgia have been handling traffic accidents and serious motor vehicle accidents for years. They’re formally trained on how to investigate these accidents and how to document their findings in their report. If you don’t call the police, there will be no independent party to speak to what happened and who was at fault.
Most of the information that’s contained in this police report is information that your attorney will not be able to get their hands on any other way. For example, the police may have included notes about the other driver’s demeanor or attitude. Or the police may have written down an actual statement made by the other driver that shows that they were at fault. Without this information, you’re making your Carrollton car accident lawyers job a lot harder than it has to be.
What Information is Contained in the Police Report?
To give you an idea of why the police report is so important, it’s critical that we explain what information is contained in this report. You’ll notice that much of this information cannot be obtained any other way. For example, strangers are not going to want to get involved in somebody else’s car accident lawsuit. This means that witnesses who would have been willing to speak with law enforcement will not be willing to speak with you or your attorney.
Some of the other information that’s contained in the police report includes the following:
- a description of the car accident scene including road conditions
- copies of both drivers’ license, registration, and insurance information
- statements made by both drivers to the police officer
- any statements made by passengers, if there were any involved
- contact information and statements from any eyewitnesses
- pictures of the accident scene including the vehicles and the extent of the damage to these vehicles
- notes about whether either driver was arrested for drunk driving or issued a traffic citation at the scene of the crash
All of this information will go far to help prove that the other party was at fault. Without it, it will be your word against the other drivers. Often, in situations like this, the insurance company tends to believe whichever party submitted their accident claim first. You don’t want your chances of compensation being dictated by the roll of the dice like that.
Your Carrollton Car Accident Lawyer Will Still Do Their Best to Get You Damages
If you or your loved one have recently been involved in any type of car accident, you should contact our office right away. Sit down with one of our Carrollton car accident lawyers and let them review your case. They will review a copy of the police report if it’s available as well as any other information you can provide.
We recommend that you call our office soon as possible after the crash. This way, one of our Georgia injury lawyers can help you prepare your initial insurance claim. Since we offer all new clients a free, initial consultation, it’s in your best interest to take advantage of having an experienced attorney tell you how best to proceed.
