Are you wondering why it’s important to file a police report after an auto accident? Well, you may be surprised to learn that it’s for reasons other than just notifying the authorities that there was a collision. It’s actually helpful for numerous things like getting compensated for your insurance claim.
If you’re curious to learn why you should always file a police report, take a look at the reasons below:
Medical Attention
When an accident occurs, police are generally the first on the scene. Even if you and the other driver are unable to call the police, one of the bypassing drivers will usually make the call.
If you need medical attention, police are good about providing some type of first response aid and getting an ambulance to the scene quickly.
Not to mention, if any of the passengers involved are seriously hurt, they can clear the way so that the ambulance can get through with no issues.
Protecting the Accident Scene
When there is a huge accident, police help to protect the scene. They’ll redirect traffic and block the streets so that there are no interruptions. Doing so ensures that the area of the accident is free from a flow of cars.
It creates a safe environment for the passing vehicles, as well as the passengers who are in the accident. Soon after a crash, the police need to gather as much information as possible and get an understanding of what caused the car accident.
Investigating the Scene of the Accident
In addition to clearing the accident scene, it’s important to file a police report so authorities can investigate it. The documentation helps them to go back and look over the details of what happened.
This information is very important if there is an incident of a hit and run or death that occurs because of an accident.
If the incident happens in TX, you can later access the Texas accident report online. Access to this document can be essential in case you need to file an insurance claim or if you take your case to court.
Insurance Payout
If you file a claim with your insurance or the other driver’s insurance, there are certain things they’re going to need. The first step in getting compensated for losses due to an auto accident is to file a police report.
If you don’t, the insurance may not take your claim seriously. If they believe that the accident wasn’t serious enough to file a police report, they may disregard your case and not pay.
Medical Care
Having a police report on file also helps with your medical care. If the physicians have a good idea of what happened during the accident, they can assess how to properly treat you. It also prompts them to run certain tests that they probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
What to Do After a Car Accident
There are certain things you should do in addition to filing a police report after you get into a car accident. Here are the important steps to take:
File a Police Report
As you know, it’s important to file a police report right after a collision takes place. It should be the very first thing that you do. When there is an accident, the police must be notified in order to ensure everyone’s safety.
Once you do that, you can move on to the other steps.
Get the Other Driver’s Insurance Information
You never want to leave an accident scene without getting the other driver’s insurance information. This is especially true if they were at fault for the accident.
Make sure you have the name and telephone number of their insurance provider because that’s who you’ll have to file your claim through.
Take Pictures
In addition to gathering the insurance information, you also want to take pictures of the scene. Obviously, filing a report is good for documentation purposes, but you’ll also need it for your personal files.
Getting photos of the scene also helps to further substantiate your claim when you start an accident settlement case.
Speak to Witnesses
If there any witnesses around, get their information. Again, when it comes to hiring an accident attorney and filing a claim, the more evidence you have… the better.
It’ll work in your favor to have third party witnesses that corroborate your statements about what happened during the accident.
Visit the Hospital
Even if you’re not hurt too bad, you always want to go to the hospital after a car accident. Doing so documents the fact that you were in an accident, and it allows the doctors to verify that you’re okay. Sometimes there may be internal injuries that you can’t see.
Not only that, sometimes there are symptoms that develop days or even weeks after a collision. So it’s important to start your medical record on the first day of the accident.
File Your Claim With the Insurance
Always file your claim with the insurance. Make sure that on the same day of the accident, they’re aware of it. That way, they can get the ball rolling as soon as possible in regards to submitting a claim for vehicle repairs and more.
Even when you do everything right after a car accident, you’re still going to need legal counsel. For assistance, visit this auto accident law group at the highlighted link.
Always File a Police Report After an Accident
As mentioned above, law enforcement should be first on the scene of an accident. Once they arrive, you can file a police report in person, and they’ll take it from there. After you have that taken care of, you can move forward with trying to recover from the collision.
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