Getting into an accident introduces you to a myriad of legal complexities that you were not prepared for and others that you might not know how to handle.
A car accident report is a document that the police prepare after visiting and assessing an accident scene. It contains details like drivers’ information, location, date, injuries, and other resulting damages, road conditions, weather conditions, eyewitness information, the at-fault party if possible to identify, and so on.
Learn how to get a police report for a crash and how reviewing it with the help of a car accident attorney can ensure your rights are protected.
How to Obtain a Police Report
There are several ways you can use to get a police report after a car accident:
- Requesting the document from the Michigan State Police or local police department where the accident took place
- Downloading it from services like the state’s Traffic Crash Purchasing System or LexisNexis for police reports
- Your car accident lawyer can also obtain the document on your behalf as they gather evidence to build your case.
What to Do After Getting the Report
After collecting the report, you might be tempted to file for compensation right away. This can cost you dearly.
The next thing to do after obtaining a police report is to review it, ideally with a legal professional. It’s not uncommon for such documents to contain errors, both factual and opinion-based, which can later affect your chances of being fully compensated. The truth is that even the reporting officer did not directly witness the accident, meaning that they are prone to making mistakes due to a misunderstanding.
If the information on the report is inaccurate, you can have it changed by presenting your evidence to show how the accident truly happened.
Why Is a Police Car Accident Report Important?
Even though a police report cannot stand as evidence, an attorney can use that information to strengthen your case or determine the potentially liable parties.
Most insurance companies are also likely to delay and end up denying your claim for cases without a filed report. This means that you might miss out on the no-fault insurance benefits that you qualify for, including medical expenses and lost wages.
Should you decide to file a mini-tort claim, the insurance provider representing the party at fault is likely to require evidence that the accident was reported as well. In cases where the victim is too injured to document the scene, a report provides this information, including eyewitness contacts.
Contact a Car Accident Lawyer
A police car accident report is one of the many legal documents that you’ll need to pursue compensation successfully, even from your auto insurance provider. At Pazner, Havens, and Slingwein, Attorneys at Law, our goal is to help you in every way possible to win your case and get the full justice that you deserve.
If you have more questions concerning your crash, get in touch with one of our car accident lawyers for answers and a case review. Call 313-822-2244 or fill out our contact form to get started.
