One of the most frequent questions people will ask an Atlanta car wreck attorney is: do I have to call the police if my accident is only minor? The answer is – yes! No matter how minor the accident, you still have to call the police.
There will be situations where you don’t think you need to call the police. There will be times when the other driver asks you not to call the police. If this is the case, it’s even more important that you call them.
There are many reasons why someone would ask you not to call the police. Some of these reasons include:
- Drugs or alcohol
- A suspended or revoked driver’s license
- No insurance
- Warrants
- They know they’re at fault and don’t want to be sued
- They don’t want their insurance rates to go up
And, while all of these may sound like really good reasons, they’re not. There is never a good reason not to call the police. It doesn’t matter how late for work the accident has made you. It doesn’t matter that the concert you’re going to already start. There is never a good reason to not call the police.
Your Attorney Will Need the Police Report
One of the biggest reasons you need to call the police is for the report. When the cops come on the scene, they investigate the accident. They’ll talk to all the drivers. They’ll talk to witnesses. They will put all of this information into their accident report.
The police report will contain valuable information that your Atlanta car wreck attorney may need later on. Some of this information includes:
- Name, license, and insurance information for both drivers
- Name and contact information for witnesses
- Statements made by both drivers
- Witness statements
- Pictures of the scene, road conditions, and the vehicles
- Whether either driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident
- Information regarding any citations issued as a result of the accident
Although he can get some of this information on his own, some could be lost forever. Your Atlanta car wreck attorney is counting on you to do the right thing.
Your Atlanta Car Wreck Attorney Doesn’t Care Why You Don’t Want to Call the Police
You can probably think of lots of reasons why you shouldn’t call the police. You’re just like everyone else. Some of these reasons include:
- The damage to your car is minor
- You and the other driver agree to just handle it through your insurance companies
- The weather is terrible and you just don’t want to stand outside waiting
- You’re in a rush or late for an appointment
- You don’t think you’re hurt
- The other driver begs you not to call the police and you feel bad
None of these reasons are good enough. You could jeopardize your entire case if you don’t call the police.
There is another reason why you need to call the police. The other driver could be breaking the law at the time of the accident. Your attorney is going to need as much proof as possible to show the other driver was at fault. The police will investigate to discover the following:
- Was anyone drunk or high at the time of the accident?
- Was the other driver speeding at the time of the accident?
- Were citations issued for any traffic violations?
This is information that really helps your case. Let the officer do the work for you. Don’t make your attorney’s job any harder than it already is.
Your Atlanta Car Wreck Attorney Knows You’re Required to Report the Accident
Georgia law requires that you report your car accident. Since you have to do this anyway, why wait until after the accident scene is cleared? The best time to do this is when you’re still at the scene and the incident is fresh.
In Georgia, you must report any accident immediately to 911 when the following criteria exist:
- The accident occurs in a city that requires reporting, such as Atlanta
- There is more than $500 property damage
- Someone is injured or killed
The problem is, you can never really be sure when the damage is greater than $500. You need to err on the side of caution. You don’t want to be criminally punished for not reporting a minor accident.
Contact us and schedule a free initial consultation with a skilled Georgia personal injury firm today.
