When you get in an accident, you are naturally shaken up and worried about what will happen next. Maybe you were so flustered after the accident that you had no idea what to do or who to talk to. When you get in an accident, one of your first steps should be to file a police report. By doing this early on, you will be able to give a detailed account of the accident and explain the damage quickly. This report could end up being essential later on in your settlement, so you will want to be as accurate as possible.

The first thing you need to do when filing a police report is contact your local police station. You will be asked a series of questions, which you need to answer carefully and honestly. Don’t inflate your claims, because other witnesses will be questioned. If your account doesn’t match up with theirs, the police will probably express concern. The law enforcement may also choose to interview passengers, the other driver, and anyone else who watched the accident happen. Try to be as clear and detailed as possible when giving your account.

Usually two or three days after your initial call, the police will have a completed police report for you to review. You can ask for a copy to make sure that the officer repeated the story accurately, Your car insurance company may want a copy of the report as well, so you may want to ask the police station to forward the paperwork to the auto insurance claims department of your insurance provider. Depending on the nature of the accident, you may be cited for a traffic violation. If you were not at fault, then the other driver may be cited for a violation.

For example, if the other driver ran a red light and hit your car, the police will issue a red light violation penalty. Having this on your record will prove that you were not at fault for the accident, and help to ensure that you get compensation. While you are at the scene of the accident, you should ask the law enforcement officer you are dealing with for his business card. That way you can contact that specific officer if you need help down the road with your lawsuit.

When it comes to litigate concerning the car accident, this police report will be essential. The document will have a true representation of what happened at the time of the crash. Weeks later, you may have discovered that you suffered injuries you didn’t know about, or find damage to your car that wasn’t apparent immediately after the collision. The person who caused the accident may have invented and elaborate excuse concerning the accident by this time. He or she has probably been worried about the settlement, and hoped that you wouldn’t ask for compensation. Once you choose to litigate, your offender may come up with dozens of reasons why you don’t deserve to be reimbursed for damages.

With a police report, you can produce facts and show exactly why you were not at fault for the accident. In some cases, you may even want to ask if any nearby stores caught the accident on a security camera. So make sure to get a police report; your insurance company and the court will both be thankful that you have one. Talk to a car accident attorney today if you are having difficulty seeking compensation for a car accident and need legal representation. With the right attorney, you will be able to get the money you need in no time!