After a car accident, you are left with a trauma. The first thing to do is visit a doctor for a checkup and treatment. The problem is that most people will not file a report of the accident to the police, especially in minor accidents.
However, this should not be the case. You need to report the accident to the police and hire a top rated car accident lawyer in California to help with the claim.
What Should You Expect?
When you file a report with the police for property damage, sustained injuries, or other damages, it will help create a strong case. A car accident lawyer will ask you for a copy of the police report to begin the process of filing a claim.
There are also other circumstances you may need the police to report after the accident. An example is when after the accident, your adrenaline is high and your body will not feel the pain.
After calming down, you can start to feel symptoms of injury that you didn’t notice after the accident. This is because not all symptoms will present themselves immediately, some will take time.
Other symptoms will need time to show signs. At a later stage, you start to feel intense pain. Having the police report will help you seek medical attention.
Documenting the accident will remain as solid proof of damages or injuries experienced. You can easily get the compensation you deserve to help cover the costs incurred.
Benefits of Filing Police Report
The insurance companies will need the police report involved in a claim when you file a personal injury case. Here are the benefits of filing a police report after the accident:
- When Other Party Denies Their Fault
When an accident occurs, the insurance will want to know the cause of the accident. Suppose someone has merged into your lane to hit your car. It will not be wrong if you call the police, while the other person will admit their fault.
Even if the other person may admit the fault, they may also do something unethical for them not to pay you the damages. So, filing a police report helps you to officiate what happened and the facts.
- When Other Party Claims Injury or Excessive Damages
Sometimes, you may cause the accident and accept it is your fault. The other party may claim there is no need to call the police. The unfortunate thing is, it could be a scam.
Their next step is claiming for excessive damages or injury even when it is a minor accident. So, the best thing is to be on the cautious side. You can do so by having the police document everything that happened at the scene.
- When the insurance Company Denies Claim
Keep in mind, that no insurance company likes to pay claims. When you have a police report, it will act as an official documentation of the scene. In such cases, the insurance company can process the claim fast.
- When Filing a Lawsuit
When there is a party that decides to file a lawsuit, you need the accident report. It will show the facts of the accident and the team that was at fault. Even when at fault, the report will protect you from paying more than you owe.
