Most people assume that every car accident will involve a police report. This is far from the truth. At The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker we do generally recommend that anyone involved in a car accident with more than $950 in damage and / or any type of injury calls the police. However, the police will not always come and they will not always create a police report if they do. Keep reading to learn more. Contact us at 800-333-0000 if you have been injured in a car accident.
There Are Many Reasons a Police Report May Not Have Been Filed
Over the years, we have seen many different reasons that a police report was not filed or available. Some examples include:
- The department was too busy. If the accident occurred during a local emergency, or in a remote area, then the police may have had more urgent things to do.
- There weren’t injuries or damages. In some cases, the police do not respond to or file a report if there are no injuries or significantly property damage.
- Bad weather. If the accident happened during a dangerous weather experience or earthquake, then the police’s ability to respond will be limited and they may only respond to life-threatening car accidents.
- The police report was lost. This happens less in today’s digitized world, but the report may have been lost before it was entered, or it may have been entered incorrectly or otherwise impossible to find.
- The police were not called. If you suffered a serious injury, or a passenger in your vehicle did, and you left to get emergency medical care, you may have assumed that someone else called the police when in fact no one did.
These are just a few of the reasons we have seen for police not filing a report or for police reports not being available.
What to Do if There is No Police Report
If you are involved in an accident and discover that the police aren’t coming or filing a report, you should get medical help if there are any injuries. Exchange contact information with the other parties involved in the accident and any uninvolved witnesses. Take photos of the scene from many angles. You can also go to the police department and file the police report yourself.
Then contact your auto insurance provider and report the accident. Do not admit fault or give any extraneous details. Now is the time to contact a personal injury attorney to find out what your legal options are. If it always worth contacting The Law Offices of Larry H. Parker at 800-333-0000 to request a free legal consultation.
