Importance of Police Reports in an Accident

If you’ve been involved in an accident – even if you don’t think it was especially serious – you need to call the police and obtain a police report. In fact, this is your first order of business (after checking to make sure no one needs an ambulance). Calling the police is not only a legal requirement but is also important for your personal injury claim. If you’ve been injured by another driver’s negligence, it’s time to contact an experienced NYC personal injury attorney.

The Police Report

The police report you obtain at the scene of the accident can prove invaluable to your personal injury claim. Police are trained and experienced at capturing important information at the scene and at assessing the basic cause of the accident. While this police report is not the final word on the cause, it may offer valuable insight. The following will likely apply to your police report:

• The report will record the date, time, and place of your accident, which allows you to corroborate the information on your personal injury claim.
• The report will provide a narrative that relays the details of the accident, and it may share what the officer believes caused the accident, such as the other driver’s speed, distraction, faulty brakes, or anything else that likely contributed to or caused the accident. Again, this is not the last word on what happened, but it may prove useful for your claim.
• The report will describe any detectable injuries sustained in the accident, which can help you corroborate your claim’s depiction of your injuries.
• The report will include pictures that depict the accident scene, descriptions of any injuries sustained by victims, and notes about damage to the vehicles involved.
• The report will contain statements from other drivers, passengers, and eyewitnesses – and their contact information. This is important information for your case, and it’s a good idea to obtain your own statements and contact info – to provide your personal injury attorney with ample information to bring your strongest claim.
• The report will enumerate any tickets that the officer issued at the scene.
• The report will contain a diagram depicting the scene of the accident and the point(s) of impact for both vehicles involved.
• The report will relay the weather, visibility, and the condition of the road at the time of the accident.
• The report will describe the damage to all vehicles and any other property damage that may have occurred.

The fact is that the police report for your accident is an important source of information for your personal injury claim and should never be discounted.

If Another Driver Leaves You Injured, Contact an Experienced NYC Personal Injury Attorney Today

If you’ve been injured by another driver’s negligence, the dedicated personal injury attorneys at Lipsig, Shapey, Manus & Moverman in New York City are committed to doing what it takes to obtain the compensation to which you are entitled. Our firm has one of the lengthiest tenures in the City, and we’re proud to continue helping clients like you. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact us online or call us at 212-285-3300 today.