If injuries occur, then yes it is required that a police report be filed. Even in the case where there was only property damage, a police report can provide accuracy to a compensation claim. If the police don’t show up to the scene, you can still file one at the police department or with the DMV after the fact.
A police report will document all of the injuries and property damage, so that if one driver tries to claim that damage to the vehicle was the result of the accident later on, it can be proven false by the report. When you are seeking compensation, the less “he said, she said” you have is better. Verifiable evidence, such as those contained in a police report, will help you throughout the claims process and expedite the payout.
If You Incurred Any Injuries
Along with personal injury, automobile accident victims and families often incur enormous medical bills for visits to emergency rooms and specialists. Because of this, it is crucial to hire a car accident attorney in Kansas City who will fight for you and help you recover damages and secure the fair compensation you deserve.
No one expects to be involved in a serious car accident, but when it happens it’s important to be prepared. Finding a quality Kansas City car accident attorney will make the process of dealing with insurance and processing a lawsuit.
Filing a Police Report
When filing a report with police at the scene of the accident, you’ll need all the same information necessary for filing a claim with insurance: name, address, driver’s license number, description of the accident. If the police are unable to get there, you can do one of three things:
- File a report at the police station. In Kansas City there are seven precincts at which you can report an accident. If the accident occurred in another city throughout Missouri, you would have to go to the local station.
- File an accident report online. This is only necessary in Missouri, as all car accidents in Kansas are considered emergencies and police reports are not allowed to be filed online.
- You can call the local station in which the accident occurred and file a report over the phone as well.
You would only file a report If property damage was greater than $500 and/or there were injuries, or the incident involved an uninsured motorist. In any of these cases, you will likely have to file a report with the state’s DMV office as well. Police and accident reports can be retrieved online through the city’s police department website for a fee. Be as detailed as possible in the report, so as to leave no room for ambiguity.
Traffic Accidents in Kansas City
Traffic accidents remain a significant source of personal injury and death in Kansas City. In 2008, the National Traffic Safety Administration reported that 32 people were killed each month in passenger car accidents statewide. Over 5.8 million auto accidents occurred nationwide that same year injuring more than 1.6 million people. The shocking reality is that car accidents are incredibly common and when they do happen, the aftermath of their wake leaves victims injured and families forever changed.
Accidents can happen at anytime and involve many types of motorists. At Dickerson Oxton, LLC, our car accident attorneys have experience dealing with numerous forms of auto accidents, and all of the legal troubles that come with them, including but not limited to:
- Drunk Driver Collisions
- Truck Accidents
- Motorcycle Accidents
- Distracted Driver Crash
- Pedestrian Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- Rear-end Collisions