If you have been involved in a car accident, you should know that it is critical to collect as much evidence as you can. And, this includes details regarding the car accident and how it occurred. If you have been involved in a minor fender bender, it may be unlikely that the police will show up. However, if it is a crash that resulted in injuries to one or more persons, then emergency personnel such as the fire department, paramedics, ambulance and the police will arrive at the scene.
It is the police officer’s job to conduct an investigation of the accident scene. Typically they will block off the accident area and interview those who were involved. Under New York laws, motorists are required to stop immediately and remain at the scene of a car accident. When they fail to do that, the incident is deemed a “hit and run.” It is important that you file a police report even if the other driver left the scene of the accident. This is an important step if you wish to seek compensation through the uninsured motorist clause of your auto insurance policy, or through a quasi-state agency.
What’s in a Police Report?
A police report is a document generated by a responding police officer who investigates the scene of a car accident. The police report is essentially a summary of information about the collision. It consists of both facts and details relating to the accident and the opinions of the investigating officer. If you closely watch the police officer at the scene of the accident, you may observe that the officer is doing a number of things including inspecting the vehicles, talking to people including anyone who may have witnessed the crash, examining the roadway for skid marks, writing down notes and taking photos. These are all details that will aid the police officer in completing the accident report.
The police report will typically include the following important details:
• The date, time and location of the crash
• Names, addresses, phone numbers and insurance information for all parties involved in the collision
• Identifying information for eyewitnesses
• Location and extent of damage to the vehicles involved in the collision
• Roadway, weather and lighting conditions at the scene
• Diagram of the accident including distance between vehicles and their positions
• Statements from those involved in the crash and witnesses
• Citations if any laws were violated
• The officer’s opinions as to the cause of the accident and who was at fault
How Do You Get the Police Report?
Police reports may take anywhere from a few days to several weeks to be completed, depending on the nature and length of the accident investigation. Before you leave the scene of the accident, it would be a good idea to get the investigating officer’s name and badge number. This will help you track down the police report. You can get copy of the report by requesting one from the police department that responded to the scene of your accident. You may have to pay an administrative fee for your copy. The law enforcement department’s records division should be able track down the report with the date, time and location of the car accident and/or your name. Your New York car accident lawyer will also be able to get the police report for you.
Compensation for Victims
If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, or if you have lost a loved one in an auto accident caused by a negligent driver, the experienced New York personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Kenneth A. Wilhelm can help you better understand your legal rights and options, and also fight hard to recover just compensation for you.
For over 46 years, our skilled accident attorneys have established a proven track record of helping injured victims get fair compensation for their losses. Our law firm recently recovered $5,600,000 for a bicyclist who was hit by a van, and $2,550,000 for another victim of a truck accident, and $3,000,000 for a pedestrian who was hit by a car, and the full $1,000,000 insurance policy for a pedestrian who was hit by a truck, and $4,625,000 for a driver who was in a car and was hit by a van, and $2,500,000 for a man who fell through an improperly secured hole.
Please contact us TOLL FREE 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at 1-800-WORK-4-YOU (1-800-967-5496). WE CAN EVEN COME TO YOU. There is no attorneys’ fee unless we recover money for you. We can also help with personal injury cases in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, or Florida. If you have been seriously injured in any of the 50 U.S. states, please call us and we will try to help you with your case.
Other TOLL FREE phone numbers for us are:
1-800-RADIO-LAW, 1-888-WYPADEK, OR 1-800-LAS-LEYES
Please visit us at: www.WORK4YOULAW.com