There were approximately 102,281 car accidents in the first three months of 2019, according to Florida’s Integrated Report Exchange System. These accidents include crashes that cause injuries, fatalities and property damage as well as those involving commercial vehicles, pedestrians and bicycles. Regardless of the severity of the accident, it is important to call the police and make a report.
The police will come to the scene of the accident, take pictures of the damage, talk to the parties involved and speak with any witnesses available to create a report of the results of their investigation at the scene. This police report becomes important for many reasons, but especially important for any personal injury case that comes about because of the accident.
We know it can be tempting to just exchange information with the other driver at the scene of the accident and contact your insurance company later on. Even if you do not feel an injury immediately following an accident, that does not mean there are no injuries sustained. A police report at the scene of the accident can support a later personal injury case that might be necessary to collect damages for another driver causing an accident. A police report can be used for:
- Contact information for both parties, including their license information
- The statements that all parties made at the scene of the accident
- The statements that are made by witnesses to the accident
- The layout of the scene from the police’s point of view that can be compared to the injured party’s memory of the scene
- Any citations or tickets that were issued to either party because of the accident
Even if the other driver involved in the accident does not want you to call the police, do it anyway. The other driver might just want to exchange insurance information and move on from the scene. The other driver might have a whole host of reasons to not call the police; he or she could be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, not have a valid license, have an active warrant out for his or her arrest or have other circumstances to keep hidden from the police. You do not have to listen to this or agree.
The personal injury attorneys at Dennis Hernandez & Associates are here for you following a car accident. Contact us today for a free consultation.
