After a car accident, the police should be sent to the accident scene to help and investigate. Once an investigation is complete, the police should draft a formal report about the accident, and you should get a copy.
Reports should be available by online request, but you may request a copy by phone or through regular mail if that works better. You will likely need a copy of the report if you plan to file an insurance claim. If you plan to file a lawsuit, the report is likely inadmissible as evidence, but it may contain information that we can use to find admissible evidence.
Ask our Laguna Beach, CA car accident lawyers for a free initial case evaluation by calling the Law Office of John J. Perlstein at (213) 252-1070.
How Do You Request a Copy of the Police Report After an Auto Accident in Irvine, CA?
There are several ways in which a person can request a copy of a police report after a car accident. If you are unsure how to submit your request, get help from your attorney.
Call the Police Department
One method is to call the police directly and ask about requesting a copy of the report. It may be possible to provide your information over the phone, and the police will prepare a copy of the accident report for you. Even if you cannot request the report over the phone, you can still call and ask how to make your request.
Request the Report Online
Many police departments, including the Laguna Beach Police Department, allow people to request copies of reports online. The Laguna Beach Police Department does not have an online portal for submitting requests, but you may email the records department.
The state authorities, the California Highway Patrol, do have an online portal where you can submit your request.
Get a Copy of the Report by Mail
It may be possible for the authorities to mail you a copy of the report. For example, if your accident happened in Laguna Beach but you do not live there, you may contact the police and request that a copy be mailed to you.
Why Do You Need a Copy of the Police Report After a Car Accident?
The police report is more than just notes about the accident. It may contain details we missed or evidence we do not have, and it can help you build a claim for damages.
Gather Information and Evidence
We may need the police report to gather as much information and details as possible. To build your case, we need information. We need to know who the other driver was, the damage to the vehicles, and basic facts about the accident, such as the date, time, and location.
Some of this information may lead us to new evidence that we do not have. For example, if the police spoke to witnesses during their investigation, they may include the witnesses’ names in the report. Our Laguna Beach, CA personal injury lawyers can use this information to locate these witnesses, interview them, and, hopefully, get them to testify.
Determine Who is At Fault?
The police may include their own opinions and conclusions about the accident, including who caused it. The report is not admissible as evidence because it is hearsay, compiled from second-hand information, and we cannot use it to prove fault, barring special circumstances.
However, the police may include information about the evidence they relied on to reach these conclusions. If we can find this evidence, we may be able to prove in court that the other driver is at fault.
Insurance Claims
Many drivers pursue insurance claims after car accidents, as all drivers are legally required to be insured. If you choose to go this route, we need to present evidence of the accident and your injuries to the insurance company. Often, insurance companies request copies of police reports if they are available. While you may still file a claim if there is no police report, your claim will likely be somewhat delayed.
What Information May Be in Your Police Report for a Car Accident?
The police report may contain a wide range of details about the crash. The more severe the accident and the more extensive the investigation, the more information the report may contain.
Date, Time, Location
Basic details about the accident, including where and how it happened, can help you dispel any notion that your claims are untrue or fraudulent. These details may be especially important if the at-fault driver tries to lie about their participation in the accident. They might argue that they were not driving or otherwise not involved, but the basic facts in the report may prove otherwise.
New Evidence
Did the police find anything you do not know about? We might have a lot of our own evidence about the accident, but the police have significant investigative authority and may be able to find evidence we cannot on our own.
For example, we might suspect that the other driver was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the accident, but this may be difficult to prove without evidence from the police. Drunk driving is a serious crime, and the police might have arrested the other driver and conducted chemical testing to confirm that they had alcohol in their system. All this might be in the report. We can use this information to get copies of the chemical testing results to present as evidence.
Driver Details
The police report should contain information about the drivers involved in the accident. This is important in cases where the other driver fled the scene or refused to identify themselves to avoid responsibility. The police will quickly identify the other driver.
How Soon After a Car Accident Can You Get a Copy of the Police Report?
It may take a few weeks after the accident for the police report to be ready. If the accident is more serious, involving death or serious injuries, the police will probably take more time to investigate.
Do You Need a Police Report for Minor Car Accidents?
Maybe. Minor accidents, like fender benders, often do not require police involvement, and many drivers do not bother to even call for emergency help. However, it may be wise to contact the police if the other driver becomes hostile at the scene or refuses to identify themselves.
Contact Our Laguna Beach, CA Car Accident Attorneys for Help
Ask our Orange County, CA car accident lawyers for a free initial case evaluation by calling the Law Office of John J. Perlstein at (213) 252-1070.