After a car accident, a police officer will ask for contact information, accident details, witness statements, vehicle details, and injury information. Police use this information to create a report for records, which you can use later in your car accident case.
At Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC, we’ve recovered over $3 billion in recoveries for our clients in our 18 years of business. Our Birmingham car accident lawyers explain the specific information you need to provide for a car accident report.
Contact Information Is Essential for a Car Accident Report
When completing a car accident report, it is important to document your contact details and identification information fully. This includes:
- Your name: List your full legal name as it appears on your driver’s license.
- Address: Provide your current mailing address where you can receive documentation.
- Phone number: Note the best number to reach you, such as a mobile phone, in case follow-up is needed.
- Email address: Include your email for correspondence if applicable.
- Date of birth: Record your date of birth for identification purposes.
- Driver’s license info: Copy the front and back of your valid driver’s license and include the state of issue.
Present your accurate identifying information clearly at the scene of the car accident. This establishes you as a direct party involved in the incident. Complete contact details allow insurance companies and authorities to easily reach you as needed during any investigation or claims processing related to the crash. Be sure to clearly write or print all requested identification factors to avoid issues later.
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Accident Details
The date of an accident is important to document in the report. This establishes an exact timeframe and timeline for when the crash occurred. Investigators and insurance adjusters may consider the weather, traffic patterns, or lighting conditions at that date and time. This timeline evidence can support your recollection of events if liability is disputed.
The time of the accident is also important to record. Reporting the precise time down to hours and minutes strengthens the timeline information. It helps determine applicable environmental details like daylight, dusk, or nighttime conditions at the moment of the incident. This level of timing detail serves as factual evidence for your account of what transpired.
Specifying the exact location is equally important. Note the closest street names, intersections, highway markers, or other landmarks. Concrete location evidence confirms jurisdiction and can help your case later on. It may also indicate relevant signage, road conditions, or other scene particulars.
Vehicle Details
The first step is to record details about your vehicle. Note the make, model, and year to identify it clearly. For example, the make could be Honda, Ford, or Toyota, and the model could be a Civic, F-150, or Camry. Providing the full license plate number conclusively ties the vehicle to you.
It is also important to fully describe any damaged areas on your vehicle. Carefully note the location of all dents, scratches, or other impact marks involved in the accident. Estimating the extent of repairs or replacement costs for damaged parts helps support expenses resulting from the crash. Thorough damage documentation supports insurance claims.
Obtaining corresponding vehicle details for all other cars in the accident is also necessary. Record the make, model, year, and license plate of other involved vehicles. Having clear identifying information on all vehicles creates a comprehensive factual chronology and helps determine responsibility for reported losses in the event of disputed liability claims.
Important Injury Information
Documenting injury locations precisely and describing symptoms helps establish the extent and nature of damages. Note specifically where each injury occurred on the body and how it impacts normal movement and daily routines. Common car accident injuries include:
- Broken bones
- Fractures
- Sprains
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
List all relevant dates of medical care received for injuries sustained in the accident. Include names and contact information for all treating doctors, therapists, and healthcare facilities. Make sure to note details of treatment plans, therapies, prescriptions, examinations, and any anticipated future care.
This information forms a basis for insurance claims and lays the groundwork should fault or liability later be disputed. Demonstrating clear links between reported injuries and the details of the reported accident through medical histories and expense records strengthens your position for receiving compensation and helps build a case if the other parties try to dispute responsibility.
Obtain Statements from Witnesses
If there were any witnesses to the accident, it is important to document them fully in the police report. Be sure to obtain:
- Full name
- Current address
- Phone number
- Email address (if available)
- Get a signed witness statement from each witness detailing what they specifically observed during the accident in their own words.
Consider having witnesses sketch or label a diagram if needed to illustrate their perspective and any unique vantage points. Note things like:
- The speed of each vehicle prior to impact.
- Traffic controls like lights and signs.
- The cars that had the right of way.
- Points of impact between vehicles.
Independent witness statements can strongly support your recollection of events, especially if the fault is later disputed. Ensure each witness provides full contact information so they can be easily reached later if further statements or testimony is required. Thorough documentation of any accident witnesses strengthens the evidence presented in your report.
What Damages Can You Recover After a Car Accident?
Post-car accident damages can help you recover the losses you’ve suffered. Some of the damages that our team at Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC, can help you recover include:
- Medical expenses: This includes costs for ambulance transport, hospital stays, surgeries, diagnostic tests, prescription drugs, physical therapy, and more resulting from crash injuries.
- Vehicle repair costs: This covers the funds needed to pay for towing and repairs to the damage your car sustained in the accident.
- Lost wages: This provides compensation for time missed from work due to accident-related injuries.
- Decreased earning capacity: This awards money lost from long-term impacts that delay your career, such as disability.
- Pain and suffering: Damages awarded for pain and suffering help cover the physical and mental discomfort experienced from accident injuries. Our lawyers can calculate pain and suffering in your car accident claim.
- Emotional distress: Funds recovered for this aim to aid with psychological trauma and improve quality of life changes following an accident.
- Traumatic brain injuries: Compensation acquired for this supports lifetime care needs for severe head wounds that alter daily life.
- Spinal cord injuries: Money recovered addresses the costs of paralysis, disability, and extra living expenses of paralysis resulting from spinal injuries.
Learn More About Car Accident Report Information
The key to recovering the compensation you need is hiring an experienced car accident lawyer and providing detailed information for the car accident report. Our team at Heninger Garrison Davis, LLC, can help you understand what information you need to provide.
Contact us if you have any questions about your car accident report or any step of the legal process.
