What Information is Contained in a Police Report?

Greenville auto accident attorneys are always telling their clients how important it is to call the cops after a car accident. However, a lot of people still insist on not doing this. They just exchange insurance information with the other driver and go on their way. They don’t realize how big a mistake this is.

There is valuable information in a police report that your attorney will need later on. Most of this can’t be found later on. For example, if you don’t get the names and contact information for witnesses at the scene, you won’t be able to get them later on.

The problem is, without this information you may not to be able to recover for your injuries. If your insurance claim is denied, you’ll have to file a lawsuit. This means your attorney will need the information in the police report.

So, what is this information? Even if you’ve been in a car accident, chances are, you’ve never read the police report. So, here is a quick summary of the information included in a standard car accident police report.

Description of the Accident Scene

When you’ve been in a car crash, you’re going to be scared and upset. The last thing you’re going to do is take an unbiased appraisal of the accident scene. You need someone to do this who’s used to dealing with these types of situations.

Police officers respond to car accidents all the time. They know exactly what to look for. They ask all the right questions and include everything about the accident in their report. They’ll make notes about the following:

  • Road conditions
  • How far apart the cars are
  • Any injuries that seem apparent
  • The number and types of cars involved

They’ll diagram the scene on their report. Your Greenville auto accident lawyer can use this information to prove the other driver is responsible for the accident.

Driver Names and Insurance Information

The police officer will get the names, driver’s license and insurance information for both drivers. They’ll make sure the insurance policies are actually valid and up to date. They’ll also check that both drivers have valid driver’s licenses.

The police report will also have contact information for the people involved in the car accident. Your attorney will need this information if he needs to file suit later on.

Witness Statements

Your Greenville auto accident lawyer in may have a hard time proving causation. In order for you to recover for your injuries, you have to prove the other driver was at fault. You may need to talk to witnesses in order to do that. They saw the accident. They may be the most helpful thing when it comes to proving fault.

Your lawyer will want to call and talk to these witnesses. But the police report will have written statements from these people. This information is really valuable. And, you may have no other way to track these people down. Your attorney wouldn’t even know where to start if he didn’t have the police report.

Traffic Tickets Issued

The police are going to determine if either of the drivers have broken any traffic laws. They’ll also check to see if anyone is drunk or under the influence of drugs. If so, they’ll have to arrest the driver for DUI. This information could prove very helpful for your case.

If the other driver was arrested for DUI, you can use this in your case. Most of the time, DUI is strong evidence of liability. Your lawyer will use this information to prove that the other driver was likely responsible for your injuries.

Pictures

The police officer will take pictures of the accident scene. He’ll snap shots of the cars and how bad the damage is. He’ll also take pictures of the scene. This will show things like skid marks and pieces of debris.

Your Greenville auto accident lawyer can give this information to his accident recreation . He can use the pictures to show how the accident likely took place.

Contact a Greenville Auto Accident Attorney

If you’ve been in a car accident, you need to call a Greenville auto accident attorney. Your lawyer can help prove that the other driver was at fault. One way he can do that is by using the police report.

Call and schedule your free initial consultation today. You can sit down with an experienced attorney who can answer any questions you may have.