A police report can be extremely helpful to back your argument after being in a car accident. But do you need a police report to file a car accident claim or lawsuit? No, police reports are not required to file a claim.
However, in most states, you do need to call the police and/or file a police report after a car accident that causes someone to suffer an injury or that causes more than $1,000 in damage. Typically, you have 24 to 72 hours to file the report, and you should file it as soon as possible, so you don’t forget key details of what happened. If you called 911 and they showed up at the crash site, then the responding officer should create the report and file it at the end of their shift.
Because many car accidents do cause some sort of injury, it is unusual for there to be no police report at all. If you are even considering filing a car accident claim against the other driver, then there is a good chance that there has been significant damage to your vehicle or an injury, too. Essentially, almost every car accident claim follows a police report for this reason.
How Do You Find or File the Police Report?
Not sure if there is a police report out there about your car accident? To find it, you should start by checking with your local police department to see if there have been any submitted reports that fit the description of your crash. Ideally, you will have received the officer’s badge number and noticed their department. That will narrow your search down quickly.
If you need to file a police report, then the process is basically the same. Go to your local police department or sheriff’s station and tell the front desk administrator that you need to report a car accident. You will be glad you did because this simple step further validates that your accident did happen and that it did cause you to suffer an injury.
For questions about car accident claim management in Waco, Texas, come to the Law Offices of Vic Feazell, P.C. Our attorneys can help you with every step along the way, so don’t hesitate to contact us.