Retrieving police reports following car accidents is crucial for all victims seeking recovery against negligent drivers in Bella Vista.
To eventually get an accident report, you first have to call 911. When law enforcement officers get to the scene, tell them what happened and how the other driver acted negligently or recklessly. Officers will gather all pertinent information and record it in the report. You can retrieve the report from the Bella Vista Police Department in person or over the phone within a week or so of the accident. Once we have this report, we can read it alongside you to identify information that could be useful to your case, such as possible contributing factors you had not previously considered.
For a free case review from our Bella Vista, AR personal injury lawyers, call us now at (479) 316-0438.
Steps to Get a Police Report After a Bella Vista, AR Car Accident
To get incident reports for auto accidents, victims need to call 911 to report crashes to law enforcement in Bella Vista. They must then gather the necessary information to locate their reports, which our lawyers can assist with. Do not put off getting the report, as we might need it when first building your case.
Call 911
First and foremost, you must call 911 to report any collision that results in injury, death, or upwards of $3,000 in property damage, according to Ark. Code. § 27-53-202(a). When you call 911, they will dispatch officers from the Bella Vista Police Department if the accident happened within its jurisdiction. When officers get there, they will start processing the accident site by taking photos, recording information, and speaking to involved parties and eyewitnesses.
You should only leave the site before you talk to the police if you have to go straight to the emergency room. In such instances, officers may contact you after the fact if they need additional information from you to include in the report. Victims cannot get a police report if they do not call the police, so do not miss this crucial step following a collision in Bella Vista.
Gather Accident Details
When you retrieve your report, you must provide the Bella Vista Police Department with identifying information about yourself and the crash. For example, you might have to give your name, driver’s license number, or the location, date, and time of the accident. Department staff can often easily locate accident reports when victims provide the report number. While law enforcement should tell victims that number at the scene, they do not necessarily need it to locate the report, as other information should suffice.
Obtain Your Report
Victims can actually get police reports by calling the Bella Vista Police Department’s non-emergency line at (479) 855-3771 or visiting it in person during normal business hours. Police reports may be available within seven to ten business days of an accident, so keep that in mind. Police reports cost $10, and you can pay over the phone or in person. Once you do, the Bella Vista Police Department can email you a copy of the report for your records. If you are severely injured and struggling to get the report, our attorneys will help you retrieve this all-important document for your case in Bella Vista.
Victims should not wait to retrieve accident reports for several reasons. For example, if there is an error within the report, we would want to get it fixed right away. Furthermore, the report might have photos or videos that could help an accident reconstruction expert and us piece together the cause of the crash.
How to Read a Police Report for a Car Accident in Bella Vista, AR
Police car accident reports contain many sections, which might make them difficult for victims to read or fully understand. Our attorneys will carefully review the incident report to identify information that could strengthen your case in Bella Vista.
Police officers will write the involved drivers’ names, the date of the crash, and the incident’s location at the very top of the collision report. They will then check off all factors and conditions of the crash, such as the first harmful event, environmental factors, weather conditions, roadway surface conditions, and light conditions.
The second page is where police officers will note any additional information, including whether they took photos or videos of the accident site and debris. They will also note property damage to the vehicles and eyewitnesses’ names if there are any.
If you feel at all hurt after an accident, tell officers from the Bella Vista Police Department when they arrive. If a victim does not report their injuries and then makes a claim for injury against an at-fault driver, the fact that the victim did not tell the police about immediate injuries might hurt their claim in some capacity.
When reading the police crash report, our Bella Vista, AR car accident lawyers will check it for accuracy to make sure it is right. If there are errors in the report, we can inform the Bella Vista Police Department and ask officers to amend it.
Although accident reports cannot be admitted into evidence, we will still want to get and read yours in case it contains any new information explaining certain aspects of your case. For example, if officers note that the roadway conditions were poor, that could factor into your lawsuit. Depending on the specifics, the defendant might claim that a pothole or road defect contributed to the accident, which we might have to prepare for. So, reviewing this report is crucial even though it is inadmissible as evidence in your lawsuit.
Call Our Lawyers About Your Car Crash Injury Claim Now
Call (479) 316-0438 for a confidential and free case evaluation from our Bella Vista, AR car accident lawyers.