One of the first things anybody should do following a car accident is call the police. Not only will they send an officer to the scene, but they’ll also make sure an ambulance is sent to the crash site. While there, the police will do a thorough investigation and put all of their notes in a police report. This report will be the main piece of evidence your Alpharetta car accident lawyer will use to prove your case. The last thing you want to do is make your attorney’s job any harder than it has to be.
There Are Only So Many Ways to Prove Fault
In order to collect damages, you need to prove fault. This is not easy to do. Your Alpharetta car accident lawyer only has a handful of ways to prove that the defendant caused the accident. The number one way to do that is by using the police report. This report will have vital information, including:
- Names and contact information for the drivers
- Names and contact information for witnesses
- Description of the accident scene
- Description of the road conditions
- Pictures of the vehicles
- Pictures of the scene
- Insurance and license information for both parties
- Statements made by the drivers and witnesses
While the information on the police report is important, it’s what the cops do at the scene that can help you the most. For example, when the cops arrive at the scene, they’ll look to see if either driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. They’ll make a note of this in their report. They may also make a note that the other driver seemed evasive or didn’t want to cooperate. All of these things can help prove your case. But if you don’t call the police, your attorney won’t have any of this information.
Your Alpharetta Car Accident Lawyer May Need to Talk to Witnesses
One of the pieces of information on the police report will be witness names and contact information. If the cops don’t come to the scene and get the names of the eyewitnesses, there will be no way to find these people. Your attorney will have no way of tracking them down. Even with their contact information, they may still be hesitant to talk to your Alpharetta car accident lawyer. They aren’t going to want to get involved in somebody else’s lawsuit. They’re usually more willing to talk to the cops at the scene than they are an attorney several weeks or months later.
You Don’t Want to Get Into a “He Said, She Said” Situation
Without a police report, the only thing you have is your word. Of course, you may have pictures of the accident scene on your cell phone. You may even have a video on your dashcam. However, there is a lot of information contained in the police report. Without the officer’s report, all you have to rely on is your voice. You’ll end up in a “he said, she said” shouting match about who caused the crash. When this happens, you run the risk of the court believing the other driver and holding you accountable.
Call and Schedule Your Free, Initial Consultation Today
If you’ve been injured in an accident, there are several things you need to do. First, you need to call 911. They’ll send an officer out to investigate the scene. The next thing you need to do is go to the emergency room. You need a doctor to check you out and document any injuries you may have suffered. Once you know you’re okay, you need to file your insurance claim and call an experienced Alpharetta car accident lawyer.
Your lawyer is going to do their best to get you as much money as possible. In order to do that, they need to prove two things. First, they must prove that the defendant was negligent. Second, they need to prove your damages. If they can do both of these things, you should receive the damages you’re entitled to. In order to prove that the other driver caused the crash, your attorney will need to rely on certain evidence. The most important piece of evidence available will be a copy of your police report. You don’t want to make your lawyer’s job any harder than it already is. So, make sure to call and set up a date and time to meet with one of our expert Alpharetta car accident lawyers.
