How To Obtain a Police Report After an Accident With the Help of a Car Accident Attorney?
When you are a victim of a car accident in San Diego, the most crucial step is documenting the incident. This will help you to file the insurance claim and provide supportive evidence. You need to consult an accident attorney who will help you in the situation. Along with this, the most essential proof is the police report, based on which you can even take legal action.
When an accident occurs, the police are informed and record a detailed record of the accident, including the parties involved, witness statements, and the officer’s observations. However, this record is not provided to the parties directly; rather, you need to acquire these documents rightfully.
So, let’s get to know how you can get a police report for a car accident.
Why Is a Police Report Critical?
When it comes to the requirement of an authoritative record of the accident, which can provide an unbiased perspective, one can solely depend on the police report. This is quite valuable when protecting your rights and dealing with insurance companies. You can also go through legal procedures based on the police report, which generally includes the accident details, parties involved in the accident, witness information, and the officer’s observations.
How To Obtain a Police Report?
To obtain the report, you need to follow the below steps:
- Identify the Responding Agency
There are different law enforcement agencies, so you must determine who responded to your car accident case. It can be the local police department or the California Highway Patrol. Usually, the reporting officers at the accident scene depend upon where the accident occurred.
- Wait for Processing
Usually, the report takes a few weeks to complete, assess, and make available to the parties. So, you must wait until the process is complete, and the time usually varies depending on the agency. Moreover, if the accident is critical, the processing time can be extended.
- Prepare Necessary Information
When you request the agency provide you with the record, you must gather all the essential details, such as the date and time of the accident, the name of the parties involved, the exact location, and the report number. You can get this information with the help of a car accident attorney at hjtrialattorneys.com.
- Submit a Request
You get two choices to submit a request, either in person, where you have to visit the law enforcement agency’s headquarters and pay a nominal fee. Alternatively, you can also request the report via mail, where you must complete the request procedure and the required fee. Moreover, you can also look online to see whether the jurisdiction offers any request option.
What Are The Considerations?
When you are submitting a request to get the police report regarding the car accident, you need to maintain privacy restrictions, as they are limited to only the involved parties. You must also request the report at the earliest to meet the deadline. Moreover, after receiving the report, you need to go through it carefully, and if you find any discrepancies or inaccuracies, contact the issuing agency immediately. You can also get help from a legal representative who can guide you through the amendment process.
Conclusion
In certain specific cases, when the accidents are pretty minor, law enforcement might not file a report. In this situation, you can complete the SR-1 form on the DMV website and report the accident if the injuries or property damages exceed $1,000.