Should You Call the Police After a Car Accident? - St. Louis Auto Injury Attorney

Missouri is a comparative law state. This means that it is possible for both parties to be found partially responsible for an automobile accident. Unlike at-fault states, both drivers - or even another party like a pedestrian or bicyclist - can be partially responsible, and therefore liable to pay for any damage or injuries caused by the accident. Many people wonder whether a police report is necessary, especially if fault seems straightforward. The answer is definitely “yes.” A police report will help your St. Louis car accident attorney determine who is at fault.

When you are in a car accident, it is imperative that you wait at the scene of the accident and call law enforcement to come fill out a police report. In fact, if you don’t call the police, or fail to exchange information with the other driver or drivers, you may be charged with a hit and run. Although police reports generally aren’t admissible in a court of law because they are considered hearsay, should you be involved in a personal injury suit resulting from a car accident, then a police report is a great tool for your St. Louis car accident attorney to use in negotiating a fair settlement. A police report can also help to determine who is at fault, to what degree, and who is responsible for paying for any damages and or injuries.

There are times when a police officer will issue a ticket after a car accident. A ticket is going to be one of the best documents you have to prove that you weren’t at fault. Police issue tickets to the negligent driver, who either did something or failed to do something that directly resulted in your car accident. For instance, if someone ran a red light and hit you at an intersection, the police officer should issue a ticket to the driver who ran the red light. That ticket is proof that your St. Louis car accident attorney can use to negotiate a fair settlement, by proving that you weren’t at fault.

For a police officer to issue a ticket, there must be clear evidence that someone was not following the rules of the road, which is not always easy to discern. There will be times when a police report will be filed and no one will be issued a ticket. A police report is still critical even without a ticket, because it will lend credence to the events leading to the accident and help your attorney plead in your defense should there be a dispute about who is at fault.

If you are involved in a car accident, it is imperative that you call the police, even in the case of a minor fender bender. A police report will help you to negotiate a fair settlement for your injuries and damages. It is also a great tool for your St. Louis car accident attorney to prove who was at fault.

The Hoffmann Law Firm, L.L.C.

Phone: (314) 361-4242