What If I Forget To Contact The Police After A Car Accident?
by Becky Freeman
After you are involved in a car accident, you might exchange information with the driver and go on your separate ways. You might then be ready to begin the insurance claim process. However, you then realize that you forgot to contact the police to file a police report. This is something that is required by law and a failure to do so could potentially have a negative impact on your case. Under these circumstances, you should speak with a car accident lawyer immediately.
Reporting Requirements
Depending on the state in which you reside, you might still have time to file a police report. Some states give you a week or two to file a report after the accident. However, if an officer doesn't observe the scene of the accident, there are many downsides to this.
The Value of a Police Report
A police officer provides a fresh perspective on an accident. Therefore, you are better off having the officer arrive at the scene of the accident. You might not remember what occurred during the accident because you were startled and you will not have a record of the details of the accident.
For example, the other party might claim that the accident didn't occur or make other false claims about the accident if a police officer did not observe the accident. You may also have no evidence that you are injured without the police documenting your accident because injuries can sometimes take several days to become apparent.
Who to Contact After Your Accident
Once you have contacted the police, you will need to contact a car accident lawyer and your insurance provider as soon as possible. The insurance provider must be notified of the accident even if you will eventually seek compensation for your injuries from the insurance provider of the other driver.
What to Do When You Have No Police Report
You will want to involve a car accident lawyer in your case as early as possible especially if you forgot to contact the police immediately after your car accident. You will need to rely more on eyewitness testimony, accident recreations, and other forms of evidence such as physical damage done to your vehicle or your body.
With the evidence your lawyer is able to gather from the accident, they may be able to negotiate a settlement and you will then be able to receive compensation for your injuries and other expenses.
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About Me
Hello and welcome, I'm Winfred Paulo. I have a passion for civil court cases of all kinds. Some time back, I ended up in the thick of a civil case after a lengthy dispute with my neighbor. The dispute went on for years and ended badly with an incident that landed us both in court. We had to prove our side of the case in an effort to obtain a positive outcome and recoup our losses. Unfortunately, I lost the case due to a lack of evidence. Since then, I've maintain a strong interest in civil cases and their proceedings. I will share information about civil cases on this site to help others understand these proceedings better. I may talk about legal terms, and expected outcomes for each case type. I hope you visit often to learn more. Thanks for stopping by my website.