Why You Should File a Police Report

I’m Ed Smith, a Rio Linda Personal Injury Lawyer. When it comes to case documentation, the most valuable resource to explain your accident is a filed police report copy. Having an accurate and precise police report increases your likelihood of receiving compensation for accident-related damage. Some people falsely assume that police reports are not necessary for minor accidents, when in reality, they are crucial to small fender benders. Collisions that result in severe damages are more closely examined by the cops, meaning that more case details go unacknowledged in smaller cases.

How to File a Police Report

Police reports define the different facts your case is composed of. Additionally, they are representative of an unbiased, factual third party for your case. In some situations, their objectivity can be more valuable than evidence. The police occasionally won’t arrive at a location until someone calls the accident in. If you do not receive an immediate response from the police, there are three other ways to file it yourself:

Go to your local police department in the first 24 hours following the accident
Call the police to request they meet with you at the hospital
Call the police to request their presence at the scene of the accident

The First 24 Hours are Crucial to Your Case

Failure to file an official report within 24 hours of its occurrence can greatly diminish the possibility of recovering damages from your traumatic injuries. Here are a few reasons you should file an official report:

Surprisingly, many defendants will attempt to claim that they were not at the accident scene. Police reports serve as irrefutable proof that they were involved.
A filed police report is one of the requirements for recovering damages in uninsured motorist (UM) cases. This means that if the defendant happens to be without insurance, you are free to file an official claim – only if there is a police report.

Police Reports are Valuable to Hit-and-Run Cases

Having a physical record of an accident will add merit to your claim, but this is especially true in hit-and-runs. If you are trying to identify license plate numbers, filing a police report assists in narrowing down potential culprits. Putting all your faith in the witness testimony can quite often lead to error, resulting in an unsupported claim that has zero grounds for recovery.

Rio Linda Personal Injury Lawyer

I’m Ed Smith, a Rio Linda Personal Injury Lawyer. If you or a family member has suffered an injury in a motor vehicle accident, you can call me now at (916)-921-6400 or my toll-free number (800)-404-5400 to receive friendly, free advice. You also have the option to speak with me on my website.

Since 1982, I have been an injury lawyer committed to serving residents in regions of northern California, such as Rio Linda. I exclusively manage personal injury and wrongful death claims.

My client evaluations can be seen on these platforms:

Avvo
Google
Yelp

I am honored to be a part of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum.

Check out my history of verdicts and settlements right here.

Image Credit: Author McRonny via Pixabay.

:jf cv

Why You Should File a Police Report