When car accidents happen, police are going to respond to the scene to figure out what happened. Part of that response involves filling out a police report to have a record of the accident. These reports have lots of details that can be useful if you want to file a lawsuit in the future.
To get your police report, you can go either through the police department or through the Georgia Department of Transportation. It may take a while for your police report to become available to the public, so you will be able to get it in due course, if not right away.
Get a free review of your claim from our Johns Creek car accident lawyers by calling Rice, Murtha & Psoras at (470) 287-3070.
Ways to Obtain Police Reports in Johns Creek, GA
There are several different ways that you can get police reports after a car crash. The variety of sources from which you may be able to get a crash report can help our Johns Creek car accident lawyers ensure that we get you this important information quickly and can start using it to improve your claim.
You are able to obtain accident reports from the Johns Creek Police Department website. You start by navigating to their “police to citizen” portal and then click on the “get your accident report” button. You then enter the relevant information about your accident so you can look up your report. Alternatively, you can head to the Johns Creek PD and ask for your report in person or call them to get your police report. If you are going to call or go there in person to get your report, be sure to budget enough time to let administrative personnel obtain your report before the end of the work day. Sometimes, records desks and precincts close before the actual building does, so it’s generally better to ask for your report early in the day.
It is also a good idea to have some information about your accident if you request your report in person. Many car accidents and countless police reports are filed every day, so having some information about yours can help officers track down your report and not waste time sifting through countless other reports.
There may be other online portals that you can get a police report through as well, but do not use them unless there is something from the Johns Creed PD officially saying that they work with that organization. The “police to citizen” portal is the only one listed on the PD’s website.
Time Before Police Reports are Available in Johns Creek, GA
Police reports are not accessible right away. Officers need time to collect their thoughts and put together a cognizant report. Most police departments have reports on accidents accessible within one or two weeks of your crash taking place.
What is In a Johns Creek, GA Police Report
If you are going through the hassle of getting a police report to help further a lawsuit, it should have useful information in it. Police reports are recorded recollections of a police officer’s impression of a car accident right after it happened. There are many different details in police reports that can end up being useful to our lawyers when building your claim.
Location of the Crash
The place where your car accident happened will be in your police report. Since car accidents are sudden, violent experiences, taking note of the street where you got hit may not be the first thing on your mind. Luckily, you can get that information from a police report at a later date.
Other Involved Parties
Police reports will also have details about anyone who was in the crash. This includes passengers, pedestrians, drivers, and more. It may even contain “accidental” details that can assist our attorneys. For example, if you were hit by a company vehicle, the officer may have taken note of the name of the company, and our lawyers can potentially include that company as a defendant.
Knowing what parties were involved in your accident is a crucial piece of information for our lawyers. It helps us find potential witnesses who can testify for you, potential defendants, and many other useful details about your case.
Road Conditions
The police officer may also report on their impression of environmental conditions and other things about the area surrounding the accident. The officer will likely note things like potholes in the road or other hazards, and they will probably note weather conditions that may have impacted your claim.
Ways Police Reports Can Help Your Claims in Johns Creek, GA
Police reports are seldom let in as evidence in court. However, that does not mean they are not useful to our lawyers or to you. On the contrary, there are many ways that police reports can help your case.
First, as previously discussed, it can help inform who you sue. It is not always possible to get all the information you need after a car crash, so being able to get information about who was involved in a police report is a good thing.
Second, police reports can be used to contradict things that the defendant may say. For example, suppose the defendant says that they could not see you because it was very foggy out, and that is why they did not stop their car. If the police report notes that the weather was clear at the time of the accident, that can be used to both hurt the defendant’s case and improve yours.
Talk with Our Johns Creek, GA Car Accident Lawyers Now
Rice, Murtha & Psoras has Johns Creek personal injury lawyers ready to help you with your claim when you contact us at the number (470) 287-3070.