Been In An Accident? Utilize Your Police Report.
Suffering a personal injury after being in a car accident can be a dizzying experience, both literally, and figuratively. In the moments after an accident, there are a number of matters to tend to, the priority being a check on everyone’s safety and well-being. Once that has been established, the police should be called to check on everyone’s safety, and then to make a report and take down statements at the scene of the accident. This police report will contain information about the names of the people involved, descriptions of the vehicles, and notes about the accident, as well as statements from any witnesses who may be in the area who wish to volunteer information about what they saw. You, and any other party involved in the accident, are allowed to obtain a copy of this police report. It is highly recommended that you do so as soon as possible after the incident. Contact the law enforcement agency which arrived at the scene, request a copy, and have it mailed to you directly, or see if you can pick up a copy in person.
Why should you obtain a copy of your police report? Primarily, during the pre-trial phase of any pending or potential litigation, the police report can give you the upper hand in negotiations for possible settlement. Whether or not settlement is on the table for discussion, during the discovery and deposition phase, before a claim goes to court, facts have to be established as to what actually happened with the incident in question. A police report can establish such facts in your favor, detailing the time, circumstances, and nature of the incident, as well as any injuries sustained that were immediately noticeable at the scene of the car accident. These facts are crucial because they go towards establishing fault for the incident. Even if you only use the report in conversation with an insurance carrier, these elements can all be established through those discussions and negotiations.
Of course, a police report on its own won’t do you much good unless you have a good personal injury lawyer with you who knows how to fully employ the facts of the report in your favor during these pre-trial procedures. A personal injury lawyer has to have a solid grasp of the facts of the case, an understanding of how to deal with insurance companies and opposing counsel both in and out of a trial setting, as well as the experience of knowing how to maneuver around the opposing side’s tactics to keep facts out of the record which can help your case should it go to trial. If you live in Los Angeles, or if your car accident even happened there, the California Attorney Group is the first place you should turn to for a consultation on your rights, potential damages, and options moving forward. Their lawyers specialize in these areas of law. If you already have a copy of your police report, you can bring it with you, and the great personal injury lawyers there will confidentially assess the facts of your case, and help you move forward so you can receive the full compensation due to you for the personal injury you have suffered. Contact them today and begin the process of getting the damages you are owed.
