The Importance of the Police Accident Report in Your Personal Injury Case

 Posted on July 13, 2021 in Uncategorized

When you get into a car accident, one of the first things you should do immediately afterward is inform the police of the accident. In some cases, it can even be required by law to call the police to the scene of an accident. According to Texas law, you are required to notify police as soon as possible if you are in an accident involving bodily harm or death to another person or if damage to a vehicle renders it unable to drive normally. Even though notifying the police is required by law, it can also benefit you greatly if you decide to pursue compensation from the other driver (and their insurance company).

Why is the Police Report So Important?

When you call the police after you have been in a car accident, they will usually come to the scene of the accident and conduct an accident investigation. Once the investigating officer has gathered all of the evidence, he/she will prepare a crash report (commonly known as a police report). The police report can be an invaluable piece of evidence when negotiating claims with your insurance company and when filing a personal injury claim. The police report serves as an official record of the incident and provides a non-party's objective perspective of the accident.

What Information is in the Police Report?

In addition, the police report can be a valuable cache of information pertaining to the crash. There are various pieces of information that police are required to document when preparing a police report. Elements that are included in a Texas police report include:

• The location of the incident
• Contact information for the individuals involved in the incident
• Information regarding the vehicles involved in the incident, such as license plate number, make, model and colors of the vehicles
• Whether or not the accident involved a death and the grading of injuries
• Any criminal charges/citations issued at the crash scene
• The amount and areas of damage to all involved vehicles
• Any road factors or weather conditions that may have contributed to the crash
• A narrative of the accident in the investigating officer's words
• A diagram of the crash sequence

Keep in mind that while the police report is likely to be an important element of your claim, police officers are human and they do make mistakes. If you obtain a copy of the police report and it does not reflect the reality of what happened, it is critical to reach out to a skilled personal injury attorney right away to ensure that your rights under the law are fully protected.

Discuss Your Case With a Collin County Car Accident Injury Lawyer

If you have been a victim of another driver's negligence, you have the right to seek compensation from that person and their insurance company. The team of McKinney, TX car accident injury attorneys is here to guide you through your journey for justice. To schedule a free consultation, call us today at 214-726-0016.

Burress Injury Law is a highly rated personal injury firm based in McKinney, Collin County, Texas. As of the date of this publication, we have recovered more than $150 Million on behalf of our clients. We have a winning percentage higher than 99.9% and we maintain a perfect 5.0-star Google rating after hundreds of client reviews. Our attorneys have tried more cases than any other injury law firm in Collin County.

Sources:
Texas Transportation Code
Filing a Police Report After a Car Accident
TXDOT: Instructions To Police For Reporting Crashes