Do I need a police report for my car accident?

When you are in a car accident, it is important to know what to do after the wreck occurs in order to make sure that certain evidence is preserved should you decide to pursue legal action against the individual who caused the wreck.

One of the items that often is prepared after a wreck is a police report. If the police came to the scene of the car wreck, police offers are usually required to make a record of the scene. In West Virginia this is done through a Uniform Traffic Crash Report. This report is standardized in West Virginia and is used by every police agency throughout the state including municipal police, county police, and state police.

It is very important to ensure that the police did a report after your car wreck. The police report is important as it serves as a document that preserves the scene of the wreck. Additionally, the police will usually take statements from each driver involved in the wreck. Statements at the scene of the wreck can be helpful as people will typically be honest about what happened right after the wreck. Another reason police reports can be helpful is that they will document whether you had any injuries at the scene of the wreck. This helps to document the chain of causation of your injuries later on in your claim process.

You do not need to have a police report before you speak with a lawyer regarding your case. While it is helpful to have when discussing your case, an experienced attorney can easily request the police report and discuss with you after receiving the report. Additionally, while a police report is important to have, you cannot always know how long it will take the reporting office to finish the report and waiting to receive the report prior to speaking with a lawyer could introduce several factors into the process of filing a claim to recover damages that may hurt your case.

The attorneys at the Manchin Injury Law Group are experienced in handling and trying car accident cases and understand the procedures that must be followed to preserve evidence and ensure that your claim receives the attention it needs. If you would like to further discuss your injuries, contact us to schedule a free consultation at 304-367-1862.