How to Get a Police Report After a Car Accident in Phoenix
If you were in a car crash and intend to seek recompense from the at-fault driver, one of the most important documents you can, and must, obtain is a police report.
Why is a Police Report important?
After you've been involved in an auto accident, you'll need a copy of your police report in order to ensure that your auto insurance company has everything that they need to pursue damages against the driver who caused your accident. You will also need a copy of your police report for your Phoenix injury attorney so that they can properly and accurately file all of the necessary paperwork.
What’s in a Police Report?
A police report takes down vital information about the drivers who are involved in a collision:
The address, telephone number, and other critical information about the other driver involved in your collision.
The determination of the responding officer as to who was at fault for the accident.
Notes that can help insurance adjustors and other interested parties determine not only fault, but also level of fault.
How, when, where, and under what conditions the incident occurred.
FREE Police Report Courtesy of The Husband & Wife Law Team
4 Other ways to get your Police Report
Getting a copy of your police report isn't as simple as calling up the police department and asking for it to be faxed or emailed to you. You'll need to follow certain protocols. There are four main ways to get a copy of the police report for your car crash:
Go to the police department in person and ask for a copy of your Police Report.
You may make your request in person at the Phoenix Police Department anytime during normal business hours. The local address for the Phoenix Police Department is 1717 North Grant Street, Suite 100, Phoenix, AZ 85034. | Map & Directions.
Mail in a request for a copy of your Police Report to the police department.
When you request a report for your car crash by mail there will be a fee associated with your order based upon the total number of pages in the report.
Download a copy of your Police Report online.
A copy of your police report can be retrieved online for no charge. You will be asked to provide the names of the individuals who were involved in the accident, along with a host of other identifying information such the date the accident took place, and if available the number of the police report, also known in some places as a case number. In some cases, if you have the name of at least one person (yourself) who was involved in the collision, and the case number associated with your police report you will be able to find, download, and print a copy of your police report online. | Get Your Police Report Online.
Request your Police Report from the City of Phoenix instead of the police department.
If you're uncomfortable visiting the police department, or you are uncomfortable with the online option for retrieving a copy of your police report, there is another way. You can request to pick up your police report from the City of Phoenix’s records office. Call ahead and check with a records clerk to determine whether your request is ready for pickup. Download Request Form.
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What to do after you get your Police Report
Once you have a copy of the police report, it is important that you review it to ensure that all of the information is correct and that there are no errors or omissions of information on this report. Many times, the responding officer that created the report may leave off vital information that is stored elsewhere simply as an oversight or because they have too many things going on at once. This does not mean that this information is unavailable. You should be able to reach out to the responding officer and get the information you need to fill in the blanks on your police report.
When you are reviewing your police report looking through the list of citations given to the driver at fault for your collision can help provide you with additional perspective. This type of information cannot be used when seeking recompense, especially in a court of law, but it can help you understand what happened and what the other driver may have done wrong that resulted in your accident and injuries.
If your vehicle was taken from the scene of the accident by tow truck, you may need to have a copy of your police report handy to retrieve your vehicle. This is even more critical in cases where family members are collecting vehicles on behalf of a seriously injured victim. In this case, you will also need power of attorney over your loved one in order to make decisions on their behalf or talk about their accident or case with any involved parties.
If you have any questions, please contact The Husband & Wife Law Team today.
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