Crash reports often contain every detail of an accident, which can benefit our lawyers when building compensation claims for victims.
Car accident reports for collisions in Dunwoody are available online and in person. Our lawyers can help you with your preferred retrieval method, and the report should be filed within three business days of the accident. Getting crash reports becomes challenging when victims do not report collisions to law enforcement, so always call 911, even if the other driver does not want you to. We can help those struggling with debilitating injuries obtain their reports and promptly scan them for accuracy or new information, like possible contributing causes.
Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (410) 694-7291 for a free and confidential case analysis from our Dunwoody car accident lawyers.
How Can Victims Get Police Reports After Accidents in Dunwoody?
Victims can visit Dunwoody City Hall in person when seeking car accident reports or submit open records requests through an online portal.
By Going in Person
For physical copies of accident reports, victims can go to City Hall, where the Dunwoody Police Department is located, Monday to Friday, from eight to five in the evening. Upon arrival, you must provide certain information about the records you seek. For example, you must inform staff that you were involved in an accident and may have to confirm your involvement by providing your driver’s license. If it takes longer than 15 minutes for staff to locate your report, there might be a small fee associated with the request and the cost of materials.
By Going Online
Victims can also submit records requests online. To do this, they must create an account and specify which documents they wish to obtain. For accident reports, victims may need to provide information about the specific crash, such as its date, location, and time. Officers could take several days to complete reports and upload them online. After you submit your records request, you should hear back within three business days. If you do not, our lawyers can contact the Dunwoody Police Department or City Hall directly to inquire about the delay. Requesting records online is typically the easiest method for victims, particularly those dealing with serious injuries.
Common Roadblocks to Getting Police Reports for Car Accidents in Dunwoody
There are several roadblocks to getting police reports for car accidents, and our lawyers can help victims overcome them so that we can promptly review reports and any other supplemental materials from law enforcement, like photos from crash sites.
The Accident Wasn’t Reported
Reporting accidents to law enforcement is mandatory if they cause death, bodily injury, or more than $500 in property damage, according to O.C.G.A. § 40-6-273. After seemingly minor accidents, negligent drivers might try to convince victims to leave the police uninvolved. Victims should not listen to negligent drivers in these situations and should proceed to call 911. If the at-fault driver leaves the scene, you should stay until police officers arrive.
Victims who do not realize the severity of an accident until later, when they notice latent injuries or property damage, can report to the police after the fact. Still, police reports are most useful when officers can collect information from the scene, so victims should always call 911 for all collisions.
The Victim is Seriously Injured
When victims are severely hurt, they may have to stay in the hospital for several days or weeks, delaying their ability to get accident reports. Our Dunwoody car accident lawyers can assist victims in these situations, helping them to locate and obtain police reports soon after collisions. We can quickly analyze these reports and search for possible inaccuracies that officers should amend.
The Report Hasn’t Been Filed
Officers in Georgia need to finalize and file accident reports within three business days of crashes, and victims rely on this general timeline to get these documents. Suppose you contacted the Dunwoody Police Department or City Hall inquiring about a report, and the staff could not locate the appropriate materials. In that case, we can assist by giving them additional information about the accident and your involvement. Law enforcement must file reports within three business days, so if your accident happens on a Friday, the report might not be ready until midway through the next week. After victims make records requests online, they can periodically check their accounts to see the status of their requests and if their reports have been uploaded.
What to Do After Getting a Police Report for a Car Accident in Dunwoody, GA
After getting the police report, our lawyers will review it alongside you to confirm its accuracy. If there are errors in the report, we can promptly inform law enforcement. We will also look for new information that could benefit your case, like eyewitnesses’ contact details.
If you spoke to witnesses at the scene, we may not have to wait for the report to contact them and schedule interviews. However, many victims are too hurt to have conversations with witnesses and might have to rely on the accident report to learn their names and phone numbers.
Police officers typically note the primary and contributing causes of collisions, and we can consider their assessments as we prepare your case. For example, if police indicated that the negligent driver likely made an illegal turn to cause the crash, we would investigate that further during eyewitness interviews and accident reconstruction.
Police reports are not admissible evidence in car accident lawsuits, so we cannot use them to prove the defendant’s negligence. However, we can use police reports to inform our investigations, which could lead to evidence that proves liability.
Call Our Lawyers in Dunwoody About Your Claim Today
Call Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (410) 694-7291 to discuss your case for free with our Georgia car accident lawyers.