- July 18, 2022
- Attorney David Mann
- Car Accidents
If you’ve been in a car accident, one of the things you’ll need to know is how to obtain a police report. This report will contain important information about how the accident happened and will be essential for filing an insurance claim.
What is a Car Accident Police Report?
A car accident police report is one of the most important pieces of evidence in a car accident case, as it can help to establish who was at fault for the accident.
The report will typically contain the names and contact information of all parties involved in the accident, as well as any witnesses. The officer who responded to the scene will also usually include a description of the road conditions, any injuries or property damage, and whether any citations were issued.
In addition, the police report may also contain photos of the accident scene, which can be helpful in reconstructing what happened.
If you have been involved in a car accident, it is important to obtain a copy of the police report as soon as possible so that you can review it and begin preparing your case.
How to Obtain a Police Report
What Are the Steps to Request an Accident Report?
- Contact the law enforcement agency that responded to the accident or wrote the report.
- Request a copy of the report from that agency or police department.
- Pay any required fees.
- Wait for the agency to process your request and send you the report.
- Review the police report for accuracy and completeness.
If the accident report was written by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office, the Macon Police Department, or the Macon State College Police, the crash report can be purchased online.
An accident report from the Georgia State Police can be obtained by filling out an Open Records Request Form and emailing the form to openrecords@gsp.net. In addition to the crash report, dashcam video is also available upon request. If photographs were taken, they can be requested as well.
When requesting a crash report, it is important to provide all of the necessary information so that the request can be processed quickly and efficiently. Be sure to include:
- Your full name
- Mailing address
- Telephone number
- The date of the crash
- The names of the parties involved in the crash
- The city or county where the accident occurred
- The preliminary accident report number if you know it.
Providing all of this information when you request your accident report will help to process your request and help you obtain copies of accident reports.
Keep in mind that it can take up to several weeks for a police report to be completed and made available, so be patient. In the meantime, you can start gathering other important information and documentation related to your accident, such as medical records and insurance paperwork. If you believe there was a medical error or negligence involved, consulting with a medical malpractice lawyer might be beneficial.
Who Can Request an Accident Report in Georgia?
According to the Georgia Open Records Act, only certain persons are allowed to obtain a Georgia Uniform Motor Vehicle Accident Report. The following are examples of people authorized to request a car accident report:
- A person who was injured in the accident
- A witness to the accident
- A person with a personal connection to a party involved in the accident
- A person with a professional or business connection with a party to the accident
- A person who owns or leases a vehicle or property damaged in the accident
- The insurer of a party or property damaged in the accident
- A prosecutor or a law enforcement officer
- A person filing a claim for personal injury
- An attorney who represents a party involved in the accident
- An attorney who needs the report as part of a criminal case or an investigation.
Do I Have to Call The Police After an Accident?
After an accident, you may be approached by the liable party and asked not to involve the police. They may tell you that they don’t have insurance or that their parents will be angry if they find out they caused an accident.
While it may be tempting to avoid involving the authorities in minor fender benders, it’s important to remember that this could prevent you from getting compensation.
And that’s not the only reason. People need to be aware that not everyone is as honest as they should be. For example, someone rear-ends your vehicle and convinces you to not call the police. After you leave, the liable party then calls the police and reports you as a hit-and-run in order to shift the blame and make it seem like you caused the accident.
Even if there are no obvious injuries, there are several other factors to consider. If the damage to either vehicle is significant, it may be necessary to involve the police. In addition, if the other driver appears to be intoxicated or is acting erratically, it is also advisable to call the authorities.
Moreover, if you don’t report the accident, you may have difficulty proving that it happened. Your insurance company may refuse to pay out any claims if they find out that you didn’t involve the police after the accident.
In the end, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and call 911 to report any accidents to the police.
Can a Car Accident Police Report Be Wrong?
Any police report, no matter how well written, is only the officer’s version of what happened. And, as we all know, everyone experiences events differently. So it’s not surprising that car accident police reports can sometimes be inaccurate.
In fact, there are a number of reasons why a police report might not accurately reflect what happened in a car accident. For example, the officer may not have seen the accident, having arrived on the scene after the car accident had already happened. Or, the officer may have spoken to one driver but not the other, and so know only one side of the story.
Besides, the officer may simply have made a mistake in writing down what happened. Whatever the reason, it’s important to remember that a police report is not necessarily the final word on what happened in an accident. If you have any doubts about its accuracy, you should speak to an attorney who can help you sort out what really happened.
Can Lawyers Help Get Car Accident Police Reports?
Getting The Results You Expect is How We Measure Success
If you’ve been in a car accident, you know how stressful and confusing the aftermath can be. Dealing with insurance companies, getting your car repaired, doctor visits, and trying to get your life back to normal can be overwhelming.
One thing you may not have thought about is how to get a police report after an accident. A car accident police report can be an important piece of evidence in your case.
An experienced Macon, GA, car accident attorney can help you get a copy of the police report and make sure it accurately reflects what happened. If you’ve been in a car accident, don’t try to deal with everything on your own. Contact the Mann Law Firm by calling 478-742-3381 today.
Attorney David Mann
Before leading his own firm, Mann served for several years as in-house defense counsel for a large insurance company, which gives him unique insight into how insurance companies work. He uses this critical knowledge as an advantage for his clients. He is a tough negotiator and litigator, and he is exceptionally strategic in building cases on behalf of personal injury victims.[ Attorney Bio ]
