How Do I Get A Copy Of The Police Report?

January 29, 2011 | Personal Injury

Following various types of Missouri personal injuries, police departments, private companies, and other administrative agencies often generate a report detailing the events of the accident. This report is often the starting point for any investigation. The accident report will contain vital information compiled in one location. Accident reports will contain names and numbers of investigating police officers, witnesses, parties involved, insurance companies, policy numbers, and first responders. These parties all contain pieces of information that ultimately make up your personal injury case. In addition to biographical information of people present at the scene of the accident, accident reports will also contain individual versions of the events of the accident while they are fresh in everyone’s memory.

St. Louis attorneys for personal injuries will immediately determine if an accident report was generated. This will allow your injury attorney to immediately build on information previously gathered. Following an accident, parties are often confused, injured, and suffering from their ordeal. In addition, they may be unsure where the report was gathered and stored. For instance, in the State of Missouri, City of St. Louis, there are 90 various municipalities that have their own systems for gathering and compiling accident reports. If you are in a car crash, your report will likely be with the police department for the particular municipality where your crash occurred. When your accident is on private property, a concert, baseball stadium, or the like, these reports are much more difficult to obtain. Many private companies refuse to turn over their accident report until forced to by a personal injury lawyer.

A Missouri personal injury lawyer deals with the process of gathering accident reports on a regular basis. These reports provide your lawyer with a starting point for any investigation. Injury lawyers are able to obtain accident reports immediately while their clients focus on their recovery. As a side note, if possible, following your injury it is important to retain a copy of any information from the scene which references where your accident report is located. Often police offers will give the parties cards that contain report numbers, even if the report is not completed at the scene. This can expedite the process of gathering the accident report and allow for a better investigation while events are fresh. It should also be noted that if an accident report was not generated by your incident, it does not mean you are out of luck. Many injuries are sustained in locations where reports are not made for one reason or another. When a report does not exist, it is even more important to contact a Missouri injury lawyer to immediately begin to gather the evidence before it disappears. If you are in need of assistance gathering an accident report related to your case or would like to discuss your injury case, personal injuries lawyer Chris Dixon is available to discuss your needs at (314) 208-2808.