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If you have experienced a car accident, you only have a couple of days to report the car accident. Generally, one should report a car accident immediately after its happening. This is to make sure that every detail involving the car accident is recorded, and all parties have their rights protected. Though some states may not have strict regulations as to when one should report a car accident, Alaska is an exception. One must immediately contact the law enforcement officers in case of an accident. This is especially if one is contemplating on seeking compensation for injuries sustained. An attorney who deals with car accident cases can tell you that failure to file a police report can be one of the biggest mistakes to make even if you were not at fault.
Your Obligation
Sometimes when there are no injuries or property damage after a car accident, one may think there is no point in reporting a car accident. It’s tempting to swap off the information. However, it’s always essential to contact the police after an accident. If the police fail to show up, it could be because the accident was in an inaccessible location, the crash being considered minor or any other reason. Even in such circumstances, you should still prepare your own report. You can do this by having a written record and submitting it to the Alaska Division of Motor Vehicles. This must be done within ten days from when the accident happened. However, if the police were on the scene immediately after the accident, they have their own obligation to come up with a report within 24 hours of the accident. If still, you’re unsure of what to do, you may consider contacting an experienced Alaska accident attorney. Reporting a car accident can help you have an easier time when filing a claim.
Why Is The Police Report Important
If you want to boost your odds of getting a fair settlement from an insurance company, filing an accident report can be helpful. The insurance company uses the report when determining who is supposed to pay out for the damages suffered. After a car accident, adrenaline may be working in its full force; hence you will not experience any pain, especially if there are no visible injuries. After you have calmed down, that’s the time you may start experiencing some pain. With a police report, you can seek for medical treatment as this will be important when filing a claim. There are some benefits why you need a police report.
• The police report provides a standard when one is filing a lawsuit. This is because you may think of changing details of the incident later.
• You will have defense even if the faulty party decides to file a claim against you.
What Will Be Included In The Police Report?
The law enforcement officers will provide an unbiased report on the following:
⎫ The exact location of the accident
⎫ Date and time when the accident occurred
⎫ Position of the vehicles
⎫ Any injuries sustained to the passengers involved
⎫ Any road debris
⎫ Damages to the vehicles involved
After the report, make sure to have your own copy, you can get the contact information of the police officer involved. This is important because if you disagree with the police report, you may be able to change any error that occurred. You can do this by presenting a letter of an amendment to the police involved. However, there must be factual evidence regarding the mistakes present and how they are to be fixed. For instance, if the police misspelled the names of the parties involved, indicated incorrect details about your insurance coverage, or any other wrong information, they would be willing to make the corrections. Again, you may also not agree with the information given by the officer; you can prepare a supplement to the report. The law will determine whether the report bears any weight. If you spot any errors, your attorney can help make the necessary changes.
Having An Experienced Personal Injury Attorney
Being involved in a car accident can be one of the most frustrating events. If you consider this, the best decision you can make is to have some legal assistance to help you understand the law concerning your case. Whether you have a police report or not, you should consider hiring an attorney to help you gather the relevant information. It’s very vital to know what to do in case of an accident and how you will be compensated if the car accident wasn’t your fault.
