How police reports can help after an accident

Why a Police Report Is Important Following a Rhode Island Car Accident?

Filing a police report documents that your accident occurred—sometimes disputed by the negligent driver and his insurance company if a crash is not reported. In addition, it provides a neutral, third-party perspective of how your wreck occurred. While the actual police report is not admissible in court, the information in it and the police officer’s conclusions can be persuasive evidence proving the other driver’s negligence when negotiating your settlement with the insurance company. Helpful information this report can provide includes:

  • Date, time, and place of the wreck
  • Contact information for the driver and his insurance company
  • Statements by drivers, passengers, and witnesses as to the cause of the crash
  • Damage to motor vehicles involved in the wreck
  • Injuries that any drivers or passengers suffered
  • Narrative of how the accident occurred
  • Weather and road conditions at the time of the wreck
  • Officer’s conclusions as to who was at fault in causing the collision
  • Any tickets issued

Even if the police report clearly shows that the other driver was at fault in causing your crash, his insurance company could still dispute who was to blame and about the severity of your injuries. You need the assistance of an experienced car accident attorney to obtain the compensation you deserve. 

 

Christopher L. Russo
Helping Rhode Island personal injury victims for nearly three decades to get the compensation they deserve.