Some people have no idea how important it is that you call the police immediately after your car accident. Without the assistance of law enforcement, your accident attorney in Atlanta will have no way of knowing what really happened at the crash scene. They get most of the information from the police report.
Being Involved in a Motor Vehicle Accident Doesn’t Automatically Entitle You to Damages
Just because you were involved in a motor vehicle accident, that doesn’t mean you’re entitled to compensation. If your Atlanta injury lawyer isn’t able to prove fault, you’ll walk away with nothing.
Ideally, this won’t be the case with you. If you call the cops, they’ll come out to the scene and do a thorough investigation. This will provide your accident attorney in Atlanta with critical information about the accident.
First, Your Accident Attorney in Atlanta Must Prove Fault
In order for you to collect damages, your Atlanta injury lawyer will have to prove fault. It’s not enough that you insist the other driver caused the crash. Your attorney will have to somehow prove that they were negligent.
The police report may go a long way toward helping them do that. It will include a description of the accident scene. It will also include the commonsense observations about the scene itself.
Then Your Atlanta Injury Lawyer Must Prove Your Damages
Even if your attorney proves fault, they’ll still need to prove your damages. You will only be entitled to damages for the losses you actually incurred. For example, if the only injury you suffer is whiplash, you can’t expect to receive a million dollars in damages.
Even if your Atlanta injury lawyer can demonstrate that the defendant was negligent, they still need to prove causation. The defendant is going to claim that your injuries were caused by something other than the crash.
The best way to prove that this isn’t the case is to call 911 and have them transport you to the emergency room.
Don’t Make the Mistake of Not Calling the Police
Our Atlanta injury lawyers have had occasions where a client didn’t call the police. For some reason, they agreed with the other driver to work things out between themselves. Unfortunately, in many of these cases, the other driver did not provide our client with legitimate information.
One of the benefits of calling the police is that they’ll verify the contact and identification information for both drivers. They’ll confirm the other driver’s insurance and registration information. They will also ask them to make an official statement about the crash.
This information will prove extremely valuable to your accident attorney in Atlanta.
The Police Will Do A Thorough Investigation of the Accident
When the police arrive on the scene, they’ll do more than talk to the drivers. They’ll do a detailed investigation of the crash scene itself. They’ll take note of any skid marks or other identifying clues about the direction the vehicles were in.
The police will also write a description of the weather and road conditions. For example, if it was snowing, the police would write as much in their report. The same is true if they notice something like an open beer can in the other driver’s cup holder.
The Officers Will Also Talk to Any Eyewitnesses
If you’ve ever witnessed an accident, then you know what it’s like to have the police question you. When they ask for your contact information, you are reluctant to provide the with it. The last thing you’ll want is having attorneys knocking on your door weeks or months later asking for your help.
You can understand, then, why it’s critical that the police get a statement from the eyewitnesses. They’ll be much more likely to speak with the police than an accident attorney in Atlanta.
Your Atlanta Injury Lawyer Will Need the Police Report to Prove Your Case
In general, your Atlanta injury lawyer will need the police report to prove your case. Without it, they will have to spend a lot of time and money chasing down information that they may never find.
With the police report, you won’t have to worry about this. For example, even if a witness won’t meet with your accident attorney in Atlanta, you already have their statement in the police report.
The Information Contained in the Police Report Will Prove Very Useful
Not only does the police report include information that your Atlanta injury lawyer can’t otherwise obtain, the information in the report is helpful. Some of the information included in the police report include:
- Description of the accident scene
- description of the road conditions
- statements made by the various drivers involved in the crash
- statements made by eyewitnesses
- contact information for the witnesses
- pictures of the damaged vehicles
- notes about whether there were any tickets issued at the scene
As you can see, this information will be crucial to proving your case against the defendant.
A Major Benefit is That the Police Serve as an Unbiased Observer
If your case somehow makes it to trial, your Atlanta injury lawyer will have to submit evidence. This will come in the form of witness testimony, affidavits, and depositions. This also includes a copy of the police report.
Since the report was written by a police officer, you don’t have to worry about them being impartial. The defendant can’t complain about your submitting this report because officers of the law are unbiased observers.
Make Sure to Bring a Copy of the Report to Your Initial Meeting with Your Atlanta Injury Lawyer
When you come in for your free, initial consultation, make sure you bring a copy of the police report. You should be able to pick this up within a day or two of the accident. Your accident attorney in Atlanta will need to review this report during this initial meeting.
Without this report, your Atlanta injury lawyer will not have access to critical information regarding your crash. They will need the police report to fully evaluate your case. Without it, they won’t be able to determine if your case has merit.
Since we do offer new clients a free, initial consultation, you should call and schedule yours now. Sit down with a seasoned accident attorney in Atlanta and let them explain your options.
