If you’re ever involved in a car accident, there are certain things you need to do. In the moments after the crash, you need to call 911. Not only are you legally required to report the crash, but you also need the cops to do a thorough investigation of the accident. The second thing you need to do is go to the emergency room. Whether you think you’re hurt or not, this is not optional. It’s important that you be checked out by a doctor. Finally, you need to call a Tucker accident lawyer. There’s no way you can handle this kind of thing on your own, especially if you suffered serious injuries.
One of the things your Georgia injury lawyer will need to prove your case is a copy of the police report. The information contained in this report is crucial to your case. It will help your attorney prove fault. It will also go a long way toward proving damages. In order to collect damages, your Tucker accident lawyer will have to prove several things. First, they’ll have to prove that the other driver was negligent. Once they’ve done that, they need to prove causation. Finally, your Georgia injury lawyer will need to prove your damages. If they’re able to do these things, there’s a good chance you’ll receive compensation for your injuries.
Here, we’ll discuss why the police report is so critical to your car accident case. If you still have questions, feel free to contact our office directly. We can schedule your free, initial consultation right over the phone.
You Have No Choice but to Call the Cops After Your Car Accident
Georgia law requires you to report any motor vehicle accident that causes more than $500 in property damage. You’re also required to report the crash if anybody is injured. Since there’s no way of knowing for sure whether this is the case, you should call 911 immediately. There’s no good reason to not call them. Even if the other driver begs you not to, you need to do the right thing. In fact, if the other driver asks you to keep the cops out of it, you should be suspicious.
In addition to obeying the law, there is another reason why you need to call the police. They will investigate the crash and put their findings into their police report. This report will be crucial to your case. Without it, your Tucker accident lawyer may have no way to prove your case.
The Police Will Do a Thorough Investigation of the Crash Scene
When the police arrive on the scene, they’ll do a thorough investigation of the accident. They’re going to look at the damage to the vehicles. They will also look at any marks on the road such as tire tracks. While they’re there, the police are also going to talk to any eyewitnesses. They’ll get their contact information while they take their statements. This information will prove to be very important to your case. If the police aren’t there to get their information, your attorney will have no way to reach out to them.
The other thing about having the police investigate the crash is that they are an impartial party. Anything they say will carry a lot of weight. The notes in their police report will carry a lot of weight with the judge or a jury. It should also carry a lot of weight with the defendant’s lawyer. For example, if the police state that everything points to the other driver’s being at fault, it should help your Tucker accident lawyer negotiate a hefty settlement.
The Police Report Contains Very Valuable Information
The information contained in the police report is extremely valuable. Without it, there may be no way to pursue the defendant. You may not even have enough evidence to file an insurance claim. When the insurance adjuster sees that the police never came to the scene, they may not pay your claim. Normally, this wouldn’t be all that critical. Your Georgia injury lawyer can always file suit if the insurance carrier doesn’t pay. However, without the police report and the information it contains, your attorney may back off.
Some of the information included in the police report include the following:
- Names and contact details for the drivers involved in the crash
- description of the road conditions
- description of the accident scene
- pictures of the damaged vehicles
- statements made by the drivers and any eyewitnesses
- contact information for the witnesses
- confirmation of any tickets or arrests issued at the scene
All of this information will be useful to your Tucker accident lawyer. In fact, they may not be able to file suit without it. This is why we always recommend that you call the police, even if the accident is minor.
Your Tucker Accident Lawyer Will Have a Harder Time Proving Your Case
If you don’t have the police report, your Tucker accident lawyer won’t have much to go on. It can be very difficult to prove your case without any documentation. The last thing you want to do is get engaged in a he said, she said battle. Nobody wins in those situations. Your Georgia injury lawyer needs the information in the police report for a variety of reasons. These reasons have been discussed at length here.
If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, there’s a good chance you’re entitled to damages. However, the only way to recover damages is to prove that the other driver was negligent and at fault for your injuries. It can be nearly impossible to do this without the police report. As discussed herein, that report can prove invaluable when pursuing a claim against the other driver.
Since we offer all new clients a free, initial consultation, we recommend you contact our office soon. Usually, the insurance companies tend to believe whoever submits their accident claim first. You don’t want to give the other driver a chance to get their report into the insurance adjuster’s hands before you do.
We suggest that you call the office and schedule your free, initial consultation today. Let one of our Tucker accident lawyers review your case and give you an idea of what it may be worth.
