Using Police Accident Reports in Your Personal Injury Claim

In personal injury claims related to car accidents, police reports can be incredibly valuable. These reports may include information like the officer’s opinions on who caused the accident, whether any traffic violations were broken, descriptions of the vehicles and drivers involved in the accident and various other components.

Here are some things you need to know to be able to use police reports in your injury claim:

• Requesting the police record. Whenever police officers come to the scene of an accident, they create a record of the incident. To request that report, you’ll need to call or go to the department of the officer who came to the scene. In some jurisdictions, there may be online record request services available.
• Using the reports while negotiating settlements. Police records are inadmissible for use in courtroom litigation, but they can be very helpful tools in negotiating an injury settlement when used alongside medical reports and other documents. The reports will help you summarize all of the most important facts of the case, and will give you some additional leverage when arguing for appropriate compensation.
• Getting facts from the reports. Police reports often provide information that could be helpful in your settlement, including the weather at the time, the names of witnesses and any other circumstances surrounding your accident the officer thought were noteworthy.

If you’re involved in an accident, you should immediately call the police, even if there doesn’t seem to be much damage. For more tips on obtaining police reports and using them in your settlement process, consult the experienced Atlanta auto accident lawyers with McMenamy Law LLC.