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Have you gotten into a minor fender bender but are not sure if it is bad enough to file a police report? Regardless of the severity, all car accidents should be reported accordingly to the proper authorities. Filing a police report is important in not only informing the authorities of what has happened, but it is also important in creating a paper trail of evidence that is easy to follow and look back on if necessary. In this post we will go over why these police reports are important, what information is recorded in a police report, how to file a police report, and what a police report can do for you in the future.
The process of filing a police report can vary in any city, and the confusing process can sometimes be enough to prevent someone from going through the proper channels of filing a report with city law enforcement. However, filing a car crash police report in Phoenix is essential for not only keeping yourself protected but also making sure that any damages to your car are properly reported and covered by insurance. This report will be used in the process of filing for insurance in addition to any court visits in the future related to the accident. If there is no report on file, then you are putting yourself at risk for liability or other damages—even if you were not the cause.
There is a long list of information that is recorded in a police report for a car accident. These reports are extensive to make sure all information regarding the accident is correctly recorded and able to be reviewed again later if necessary. The information taken down is very specific and is generally the same wherever you go, including:
Phoenix Car Accident Attorney – Shapiro Law Team
According to Arizona state law, you are not required to report an auto accident or collision. However, if you leave the scene of the accident without reporting it, you risk being charged with a hit and run. It is within your best interest to contact local authorities as soon as the accident happens in order to protect yourself as well as any other parties involved. Alongside this, some insurance companies require you to file a claim within 24 hours of an accident happening.
In addition, police officers are required to fill out a police report for accidents or collisions that meet certain criteria, including:
Since the police report of your accident is crucial in the process of filing an insurance claim, it is important to get a copy of that report for yourself. Typically you can get a copy of the report at the time of the accident from the police officer who arrived on the scene and wrote the report. However, if you happen to not get it from them, there are other options available to you to get that information.
One way would be to go to one of your local police stations in person and ask for a copy of the report. The other option is to go online and fill out a police department records report request.
Once you have a copy of your Phoenix car accident report, your first priority should be to seek medical care. From there, you can use a copy of your police report to begin the process of filing a claim with your car insurance for the damage caused to your vehicle. Depending on who is at fault, you can also get in touch with an auto accident lawyer in Phoenix to begin building your case for compensation or personal injury.
In general, the rule of thumb is to report a car accident as soon as it happens. This makes sure that all of the information about the accident is recorded properly and accurately, as your memory of the incident will be clearer and the officer on the scene can get a clear image of what happened. Remain at the scene of the accident until a police officer arrives and takes a statement from everyone involved.
Be sure to get the report number from the officer as well, as that will help you look up the report later and request a copy of it. Under Arizona state law, the police officer has up to 24 hours after completing their investigation to complete the report.
If you are in a car accident that leads to a legal case in court, that police report you filed is going to be one of the most important pieces of information used in the case. It will act as a point of reference as to what exactly happened during the accident and will be viewed in court as the cold hard facts of how it happened and potentially who was at fault. If there were any injuries at the time of the accident, they would also be recorded in the police report. This way you would be able to provide evidence that the injuries you experienced came from the car accident and not a third party cause that happened afterward. This police report not only protects you in a court of law, but it protects all parties involved.
Did you get into a car accident and need help with an attorney? Contact Shapiro Law Team in Arizona! Our team of personal injury lawyers in Phoenix is here to help you earn the compensation you deserve for personal injury cases including car accidents. Get started with a free consultation—and remember, if we don’t win, you won’t pay.