The Importance of a Police Report in Car Accident Cases

The Importance of a Police Report in Car Accident Cases There are approximately 17,250 car crashes per day in America. Odds are, you have been involved in a car accident yourself or know someone who has.  Car accidents can cause a lot of damages in a person’s life that spans far beyond the actual vehicle damage. There are medical bills that follow, injuries to heal from, and trauma that can really impact a person’s life.  If you’ve ever been in a car accident, then you are aware of the importance of having a police report filed. Filing a police report in your car accident case can help your Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyer strengthen your case and back you up to your insurance policy. 

How To File a Police Report

When you’re involved in a car accident, you need to file a police report immediately. If you are not severely injured at the scene of the wreck and are able to call 9-1-1, do so as soon as you can.  Florida has a certain statute of limitations that allows people to file a car accident police report after ten days, but it would benefit you greatly to file it before, preferably the day of.  If you file your car accident police report after the day of the accident, you will be responsible for collecting evidence. If you file a police report at the scene of the accident, you will notice police officers walking around to investigate the cars and jot down information to put in the report.

Information Included in Police Reports

Police officers and your insurance company will be reviewing the accident and evidence to distinguish the facts and opinions about your case. How the police and insurance company deem the opinions can significantly impact your case. For example, here are the facts (truths) about your accident police will put in their reports:

• Time, day, and location of the accident
• Information on people in the car accident
• Weather conditions of the scene
• Statements from witnesses

It will take weeks for your investigation to be completed and for a draft of the report to be made, but once it’s complete, you have two options for obtaining a copy for your records. The first option is to obtain the receipt from the officer at the scene of the crash that will contain your case number. You will need to call the traffic division of the local law enforcement station and request to have a copy of your case printed. This may cost you fifteen dollars. Another possible way to obtain a copy of your police report, is to ask your insurance company to make a copy for you if they have collected the report themselves. 

How To Use Your Police Report for Extra Compensation

The best purpose for having an official police report for your car accident is to have evidence for your insurance claim or personal injury case if you seek extra compensation by suing the other party. Having a police report can also help speed your insurance policy investigation along with determining how much you can receive for coverage.  Suppose your insurance policy is not covering all of the hefty amount of damages after a car crash and you need to seek extra compensation. In that case, the police report can help greatly when filing a lawsuit, especially if the other person is at fault. Car accidents go hand-in-hand with personal injury claims, and the information in your police report can make a significant difference in how much money you can receive.

What Is a Personal Injury Report?

After seeing how much your insurance policy will cover, filing a personal injury lawsuit can help you make up for extra damages. Personal injury claims are lawsuits the plaintiff files against the defendant after suffering injury or harm from wrongdoings.  It is well-advised to thoroughly spend time researching for the best Fort Lauderdale Car Accident Lawyer to represent you in your case when filing a personal injury report. Car accident lawyers have the legal expertise and skills to help guide you through the process.

How Does A Personal Injury Claim Work?

When you file a personal injury claim against the other party, your case will either reach a settlement or go to court where the jury will determine how much compensation you should be awarded. Because Florida is a no-fault state, meaning both drivers in a car accident share the blame, no one is deemed “at-fault.” However, that does not mean both parties walk out with the same amount. Personal injury rewards in car accident trials are broken down into economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are the totals of actual items added up with monetary value, such as your car damages, medical bills, and days off work. Non-economic damages refer to factors such as mental health, impact on quality of life, loss, or sustained injuries. The jury will determine how much they believe you should be rewarded with these factors added together along with other evidence you have in your case.  Having a personal injury lawyer handling your case, if you choose this route, can help you estimate how much you can expect to receive after the case makes it to trial. If your lawyer has the initial police report with all of the information laid out in terms of how the accident occurred and who the police believe caused the wreck, your lawyer can possibly help you receive more compensation in your personal injury reward. 

Call Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers Today

Car accidents can play a significant role in impacting a person’s life. If you or a loved one has suffered from a recent car accident and would like to seek rightful compensation through a personal injury lawsuit, allow experienced attorneys to help you. Our team at Frankl Kominsky Injury Lawyers has 40 years of experience handling car accident cases. It’s our job to take care of the residents in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to get the help they need after a car accident (by appointment only). We understand how stressful accidents like these can be, especially if there’s loss involved. Whether that loss is financial or a life, we want to help you seek the extra help you deserve. You can get started right away with your personal injury case by calling our 24/7 hotline at (561) 800-8000 or visiting us online to fill out our free consultation form. One of our attorneys will contact you quickly about setting up a time to come in where you will discuss your case in-depth and hear about our services. Our experience has taught us how to use vital pieces of evidence, such as police reports, when handling car accident cases. Allow us to take care of you by using every tool we can to help you seek compensation.  Give us a call when you’re ready.