It is normal to find a law enforcement officer at the scene of an auto accident. Police officers often will ask questions about the accident and carry out a cursory investigation of the accident. This information will be used in the generation of an accident report.
What’s in a police accident report?
A police accident report usually includes the following information:
- The time, date and location of the accident
- Accident details. This may include a description of the scene and a diagram showing the scene of the accident including the position of the vehicles, the lanes, debris and skid marks.
- Names and contact information of all parties involved in the accident (i.e. vehicle owners, drivers and passengers) as well as witnesses who may have observed the accident.
- Names and contact information of parties injured in the accident. This will include even those with minor injuries and whether or not injured parties have been transported to hospital.
- Detailed description of the conditions i.e. weather, road conditions
- Detailed descriptions of the vehicles involved in the collision
- Description of any property damage
These reports often don’t include the opinion of the officer about who they believe is at fault in the accident or how it actually happened.
Why Police Reports are Important
Police reports can play a vital role in determining who should be held liable for an accident. Insurance companies often seek these police reports in order to get more information about the accident. It is also a good idea for you to get a copy of the report when involved in an accident.
Police reports on accidents are often a public record. You may be charged a small fee to obtain a copy of the report, but you usually won’t be denied access to the report. In some cases, however, the report may not be made available to the public. An example of when this might occur is when there is a potential of criminal prosecution. There are also various other circumstances that may cause the report to be considered confidential. In these cases, you will have to obtain a subpoena to obtain the report. Your lawyer may also be able to access the report as part of the discovery process.
What happens when there was no police report?
In some cases, police may not visit the scene of a crime. This is common when no one is injured in an accident or in accidents in large cities. In such cases, making your own record of the scene of the accident will help you in preserving evidence and improving your chances of success in a claim.
Contact an injury lawyer today if you or someone you know were injured in an auto accident.
