Getting a car accident report is an essential process after the incident. Even if it was a minor accident, you still need to get your car accident report from the police. The car accident report helps protect your legal rights in case of a lawsuit.
What is a Car Accident Report?
A car accident report is recorded at the time of a car accident by a police officer who witnessed it. It includes the details of the crash, the statements from the drivers and other witnesses, timing, location, etc. the report helps determine the fault and damages after the incident.
A car accident report can contain facts and opinions depending on the law enforcement officials. The information primarily includes the model of the vehicles, weather conditions at the time of the accident, a diagram or drawing of the car accident, traffic violations, reasons for the accident, and information about the parties involved, e.g., phone number, address, etc.
How to Get a Car Accident Report?
If a police officer is not already present at the scene, call 911 to bring a law enforcement officer to the incident. It is always best to tell your side of the story first. Take all the passengers to a safe location and give your statement to the police officer.
Regardless of the fact that the accident was intentional or coincidental, do not admit fault. While giving your statement, point out the general facts of the incident.
After your statement has been recorded, ask for the police officer’s name, badge number, and the report number of the current incident.
You can later request a copy of the car accident report from the local law enforcement officials. A copy of the accident report usually has a fee and can be given by providing the report number given to you by the police officer.
If there was no report number, you could also get the report by providing your vehicle number, time, date, and location. Your insurance company also receives the car accident report, and you can get a copy from them if you do not want to pay the fee.