What You Need to Know About Police Reports After Car Accidents

It is widely known that motor vehicle accidents and the resulting injuries from those accidents produce a great deal of paperwork. One of the most important documents that should be generated after a car accident is the police report. The importance of the police report stems from its potential use in a claim against the at-fault driver. We recommend that you always get a police report after an accident to protect your potential claim. No matter the size of the wreck, you should still get a police report. You will likely regret it if you do not.

What is a Police Report?

A police report after a car accident is the responding officer’s documentation and summation of the information regarding the motor vehicle collision. Some details of the police report are factual, while others may be the opinion of the officer. Nonetheless, the police report is what the insurance companies uses to determine who is at fault. This is because the report provides an independent person providing details from the collision. The Police Report is considered hearsay, so it cannot be presented as evidence; however, the officer who wrote the report can testify to what he saw and interpreted from the scene. The police report is something that should be made after every car wreck. It will protect you from the insurance company twisting the facts to delay payment or give you a lowball offer for your case.

What’s in the Police Report?

• Date, time and place of the collision
• Details regarding people involved in the collision (names, addresses, insurance information, phone numbers)
• Details of vehicle damage from collision
• Details regarding pedestrians involved in the collision
• Details regarding injuries/deaths from the collision
• Details regarding the roadway where the crash took place and resulting damages to the roadway
• Details of current weather and lighting conditions
• Diagram of the accident
• Details and statements from witnesses
• Narrative of the events that caused the collision
• Citations from breaking the law
• The officer's opinion on the cause of the collision

Obtaining Your Police Report in Kentucky

According to the Kentucky State Police, if you are in an accident, you can obtain your police report “from the state police post in which your accident occurred.” If you are involved in an accident, you can go to http://kentuckystatepolice.org/post-locations/ to locate post areas.
If a local police agency comes out, then the easiest way to get a police report is to obtain it through https://www.buycrash.com. To get your police report from buycrash.com you will need the name of the local police agency that came to the scene, your police report number, the date of the accident, and the last name of either driver in the wreck.

Contact Us

Operating the aftermath of a car crash can be an arduous task. If you have questions, we are here to assist you! If you or a loved one have been injured in a car accident, please do not hesitate to call Dixie Law Group at 502-290-2397.