There’s no doubt about it: Being involved in an auto accident is no fun at all and can be rather traumatizing. However, this should not prevent you from practicing common sense in the form of filing a car accident report.
Yes, it can be easy to forget or say it’s nothing too major, but the reality is that you don’t want to regret not having a report in the event that things turn out worse than originally expected. If you are still unsure as to why car accident reports are so important, then read on to learn about some of the reasons why you must always obtain a report.
What Does a Police Report Provide?
One of the best things about a car accident report is that it is being written by an unbiased police officer who isn’t there to place blame on either party. This is very important as it provides an accurate account of the accident, which includes the location, time of day, driver statements, and description of any damages, to name a few.
Claim Advantage
Having an auto accident report is perhaps the best way to have your claim results rule in your favor. This is especially important if the other party involved is attempting to make it seem like you were in the wrong. When other drivers attempt to sue you for potentially false injuries or repairs, a car accident report may be your only hope of avoiding paying them large sums of money.
Why No Pain Doesn’t Mean No Injury
Perhaps the most common misconception regarding auto accidents and accident reports is that you shouldn’t have to make one unless it causes major damage to your vehicle.
This, however, is not the best route to take after an accident. According to many Bronx personal injury lawyer firms, adrenaline can be a very powerful pain reliever. You may be able to move around with no pain at all because of the shock of being in a car accident, no matter the severity.
However, once you begin to calm down and relax, that pain will slowly start becoming noticeable, and without a car accident report, there is no real way for you to receive compensation if the other person was at fault. This is another reason why obtaining a car accident report is such an important thing to do.
How Do You File an Accurate Car Accident Report?
No matter if you’re in the Bronx or from Los Angeles, most lawyers will agree that filing a car accident report is the best route to take. But how exactly should you go about filing one?
Getting into an accident is no doubt a tense situation to be in and understandably makes a person lose focus. Therefore the first thing you should do is call a police officer to the scene of the accident. Don’t touch or move your vehicle as this can dramatically hurt your case.
Avoid getting into a heated confrontation with the other driver when the officer arrives. The officer will take statements from both parties, so you don’t have to worry about not being heard. Lastly, you should request a copy of the report from the officer once he or she has filed it.
Having an official document regarding a car accident is always the best thing to have in the event that you have to seek compensation for personal or property damages. However, this all begins with the initial car accident report. Filing one at the moment of the accident is extremely important and thus should always be done.
