How to Read a Georgia Car Accident Report if You Have Been Involved in a Motor Vehicle Accident
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident, you may benefit from knowing how to read a Georgia car accident report. This complete guide covers everything you need to know.
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What Are Traffic Accident Reports in Georgia & What Are They Meant For?
Accidents happen occasionally, and it’s no one’s wish to be involved in one. However, it’s good to be familiar with or know how to read a car accident report if it ever happens to you.
A car accident report here in Georgia is a document designed to provide vital information concerning how an accident occurred, who was involved in the car crash, the at-fault driver, what injuries and damages were incurred, and so on. The car crash report is generally drafted by the police officer who was at the accident scene.
A car crash report is meant for capturing all the occurrences of the motor vehicle accident. It details injuries, public or private property damage, misconducts, health and safety issues, and security breaches.
Many drivers discount the importance of a motor vehicle accident report. However, under the laws of Georgia, you must call 911 to report the motor vehicle accident. Moreover, for insurance adjusters to establish liability and responsibility, they must see a car accident report as evidence.
How to Get an Accident Report in Georgia
A car accident report is usually available a few days after the crash. It is obtained from the local sheriff, police department, or the nearest Georgia State Patrol Office that worked on the case.
Where Else Can You Obtain a Georgia Car Accident Report?
At times, the accident report can be obtained from one of several websites that work closely with the Georgia Department of Transportation. Your car wreck lawyer in Atlanta can also help you obtain it. Be informed that there will be a small fee that you will be charged to get your Georgia accident report. You will be charged about $5.00 for the report.
How to Read a Georgia Car Accident Report Once You Obtain It from the Police Department
For someone who has never seen a car accident report, it may be difficult to understand it. However, knowing the kind of information the accident report needs to bear and how it is filled out is enough if you are planning to pursue a personal injury claim after a Georgia motor vehicle accident. An experienced auto injury lawyer can help you understand additional details about the car crash report.
How to Read an Accident Report
Understanding the car accident report helps you know whether the liability is an issue, what the witnesses at the scene reported to police officers, among others. Not all reports are frankly drafted, so knowing a few things in the report will help you massively.
The four major parts of Georgia accident reports that you need to know about and be familiarized with are as follows;
The Front of the Car Accident Report
The front page of the report, in most cases, contains essential information about the motor vehicle accident.
The Back of the Car Accident Report
The back part does not always contain important information, but it is essential to read it through since it gives an officer the chance to give a narrative account of the events during the car wreck. It also contains information provided by other drivers and the officer’s remarks on what caused the accident.
The Overlay
This provides information about the various codes as well as data fields that are found on the car accident report.
Supplemental Report Form
A reporting officer, in some cases, needs more space to report all information that was gathered during their investigation. Hence, the supplemental report form comes in handy to allow them to include all necessary information accurately.
Nevertheless, other parts of the report are straightforward to read, such as the names of the parties involved, date and time, driver conditions, a description of the motor vehicles involved, and information about the insurance company. If the crash report is difficult for you to understand, an Atlanta auto accident lawyer can help you with that.
Georgia Police Report Codes: How to Read Accident Report Codes on a Motor Vehicle Accident Report
Police officers use codes that are represented as numbers to show information about the car accident. At first glance, you will not realize how essential this information is. The codes are always listed in the informational box.
You will most certainly get a great deal of vital information from the codes, which will be helpful in a car accident claim. These statute codes are used to represent information such as:
- The contributing factors to the accident, e.g., weather conditions and roadway conditions.
- The type of injuries succumbed by the parties involved in the Georgia car accident.
- The type of motor vehicle.
- The location of the car accident.
- Types of parties involved, such as pedestrians.
- Airbag function.
What You Should Pay Attention to on a Car Accident Report in Georgia
Make sure your Georgia Uniform Motor Vehicle Accident Report has the accurate details of everyone involved in the car crash. These details include names, addresses, the contact information of the persons, vehicle type, etc. If you are not the at-fault driver, they also ensure that witnesses’ information is accurate and that what was written down is what happened.
You should also ensure that the street name of where the accident occurred is captured correctly in your auto accident report and the position of the cars when the accident occurred on that street. This is very important as it helps adjusters recreate the accident when you report the claim. In short, you need to ensure everything written down corresponds with what happened to preserve the integrity of your claim.
When Should You Seek Legal Help After a Georgia Motor Vehicle Accident?
Georgia laws state that a person has the legal right to file a lawsuit within two years from the date the car accident occurred. But typically, it is advisable to contact a team of reputable car accident attorneys as soon as possible. It gives ample time for truck accident attorneys to develop a strong case and negotiate with insurance companies. Do not waste any more time or try to buy time; contact an Atlanta uninsured car accident lawyer as soon as possible.
As this article has outlined, having a Georgia accident report is very helpful. Without it, you can not pursue a personal injury claim, and neither can an insurance company compensate you. So, if you are in Georgia and you get involved in an accident, make sure to seek help from law enforcement to ensure that an accident report is filled out for you, then reach out to an experienced attorney for a free consultation.
The Orlando Firm are your personal injury attorneys with the experience to win.