police report

The aftermath of a St. Louis car accident can get confusing quickly. Here’s what you should know about filing a Missouri police report after an accident.

If you’ve been in a car accident, you probably know the few basic things you need to do afterward: take pictures of the scene, do not admit fault to the other driver, call your insurance company, and so on. However, you may be wondering if you need to call the police to file a police report. Here are a few things you should know.

In Missouri, a Police Report is Required to be Filed in Certain Accidents

In the state of Missouri, you are legally required to file a police report if the crash:

1. Led to the severe injury or death of someone
2. Caused more than $500 worth of damage
3. Involved an uninsured driver

At the scene, it can be tough to gauge the amount of damage done to both vehicles. More than $500 worth of damage may have been done, but you don’t know. You may discover internal damage later or have a problem pop up down the line. If you are even remotely unsure, it might be best to file a police report. 

You have up to 30 days from the day of the accident to file a report. This gap allows for the fact that you may be recovering from injuries after the accident or occupied trying to repair your car and deal with insurance. However, it might be easiest to do it as soon as possible afterward, while the details are still fresh in your memory.

What Are the Benefits of a Police Report?

A police report is a clear, undisputed record of the event. Many car accidents can turn into a he-said, she-said situation because neither driver wants to be at fault. However, if a police officer comes to the scene, they can examine the crash themselves, document the incident, and speak to both drivers. A police officer on the scene will also speak to any witnesses that might have seen the accident.

A Police Report Can Make Arguing Fault Easier

Missouri is a comparative fault state, so determining fault can be a murky process. However, a police report is an unbiased piece of evidence you can use when speaking to your insurance company or a judge. If you hire a car accident attorney to handle the case, they will likely ask to see a copy of the police report. 

If you hire a car accident lawyer in the state of Missouri, a police report will be very useful for them to analyze your case. For car accidents and personal injury, The Hoffman Law Firm has over 20 years of experience. Speak to a lawyer 24/7 for free at (314) 361-4242.

If you get in a car accident, do you need to call the police? This is a common question, particularly from people worried they might be found at fault for the accident.

The answer to this question is generally simple: Yes. In most cases, you should call the police if you are involved in a St. Louis car accident. Here’s why.

Why Call the Police After a Car Accident?

The police serve a lot of different functions after an accident. They get testimony from witnesses and drivers, help coordinate emergency care (if necessary), and help investigate the scene and document potential causes of the accident. 

They also help keep you safe, particularly if the other driver is intoxicated, is acting aggressively, or is otherwise threatening your safety in some way. Even if you’re involved in a minor accident, you should call the police. In most cases, you should: 

• Call 911 if the accident involves serious injuries. If the situation is dire or involves injuries, you should call 911 immediately to get first responders on the scene ASAP.
  
• Call the police non-emergency line if the incident is more minor. If you have a minor fender-bender in the parking lot, you may want to call your local police’s non-emergency line since emergency medical care, and first responders won’t be needed.

If you’re not sure whether or not the issue is an emergency, call 911. The dispatcher can learn about the situation and recommend the appropriate action. 

What to Do if the Police Tell You They Aren’t Coming to the Scene

If your accident is not serious, the police may tell you to exchange your insurance information and personal details with the other driver and choose not to send an officer to the scene.

If this is the case, make sure you and the other driver exchange:

• Name 
• Address
• License plate number, as well as the registered state if not Missouri
• Telephone numbers
• The name of the car insurance company
• The policy number of the insurance policy

It’s a good idea to see documents from the other party from which you can copy this information, such as their address and name from their driver’s license, and their insurance policy number from their insurance card.

If the other party refuses to verify their information, call the police again and request that the other driver stays in place until the police arrive. If the other driver does not comply, the police will generally agree to come to the scene. 

Get Help From a Car Accident Lawyer After a Crash in St. Louis 

If you have recently been in a serious car accident in St. Louis or anywhere else in Missouri, you will greatly benefit from the help of an experienced team of lawyers to negotiate with insurers, pursue damage, and get the compensation you’re entitled to. Contact The Hoffman Law Firm now to speak to an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney and get a free case review.

What happens if the police report of your St. Louis auto accident contains errors? Do you have a right to correct them?

A car accident is almost always followed by a car accident claim since personal or property damage occurs in most crashes. In determining liability and calculating the settlement for the victim, the police report from the scene of the accident is often one of the most crucial pieces of evidence.

But what happens when such an important document contains errors? Correcting a police report that contains errors is not only doable; it should be pursued.

Types of Errors a Police Report May Contain

First, it’s crucial to determine what kind of errors were made. The most critical distinction between the different types of errors is based on facts versus statements.

Factual errors are the easiest to correct since they refer to undisputable information, such as names, details about the type of vehicles involved, the date and time of the accident, insurance information, or location. Proving that the real information is different from what got into the report is quite simple, and it’s done with the necessary documentation.

Disputable information, on the other hand, can be tough to correct in a police report. Things someone has said, conflicting information was given by an eye-witness, contrary statements from different drivers, suspicion of liability can damage your case. Because it was a police officer who documented these errors, they might disagree with your side of the story and insist that the report is accurate.

What to Do If the Police Report Contains Mistakes

The most crucial step to take when noticing mistakes in the police report is to send the agency a request for correction in writing. Be concise and formal, and explain how the information included in the report is not accurate. If needed, attach documents proving the discrepancy.

Depending on the impact this mistake can have on the case, the police officer who wrote the report may or may not solve your request. If needed, you may need to go to their superior and send more notifications in writing, mentioning any lack of communication or hostility on the officer’s part.

Work with a St. Louis Auto Accident Attorney

Speak with an experienced St. Louis car accident attorney to ensure your rights are protected. Whether the report will be changed or not depends entirely on you, but reaching out and requesting a correction is the first and most crucial step.

A police report contains important information about the car accident – and is a very powerful and useful document.

If you ever are in a traffic accident in St. Louis – even a minor collision – call law enforcement. Even if it’s just a minor fender-bender with no injuries, you should call the police so that a report can be filed. Here’s why this is so important.

What is a Police Report?

A police report is an unbiased report of what happened at an accident site and is filed by a law enforcement officer after they respond to the scene of a crash. This report usually contains quite a bit of information, such as:

• The precise location where the accident occurred
• The time and date of the accident
• The extent of damage to vehicles and property
• Injuries, if any, sustained by drivers, passengers, pedestrians, and any other involved parties
• Statements and identifying information of eyewitness
• Statements of each driver about their perspective of the accident
• Environmental information about when the accident occurred, such as road conditions, fog, etc.

Basically, a police report contains all of the information about the accident – and is a very powerful and useful document when it comes to proving negligence, fault, and responsibility. 

Why Does Filing a Police Report Matter After a Car Accident?

A police report is a very powerful piece of evidence – whether or not you were at fault for the accident. 

• Prove negligence & fault if you’re the victim – If you were the victim of a serious car accident, a police report has information that will help prove the responsibility of the other driver.
  
  This is very important in “shared fault” states like Missouri, where your compensation can be reduced if you’re found to have contributed to the accident due to your own negligence. By using the police report, you can get an unbiased perspective, and make sure the facts of the case are correct during the process of recovering the compensation you deserve.
  
• Protect yourself if you caused the accident – Even if you were at fault and caused the accident, a police report can help your St. Louis car accident attorney defend you from false claims. A police report that’s thorough and accurate will help if the other party tries to claim false injury, misreports facts about the incident, or lies to try to get more compensation than they deserve. 

Speak With an Experienced St. Louis Car Accident Attorney ASAP

If you were injured in an accident and were the victim of negligence a police report can help a St. Louis car accident attorney build your case and get you the compensation you are legally entitled to.

A police report can prove to be an incredibly powerful piece of evidence in your car accident case.

When each side is telling a different story, the police report is often viewed as an objective recollection of events, as they don’t have anything to gain from the process.

While severe car accidents will invite the presence of the police on the scene, for not so serious events you’ll often have to file a report yourself.

Can You Do It Online?

In Missouri, you currently cannot get a police report online. There is an online form you can download, but you still have to physically mail it in. To file the report, there are three criteria your car accident should meet:

• The accident happened in the last 12 months
• The accident involved an uninsured motorist
• The accident resulted in injuries, fatalities, or property damage of more than $500

In Missouri, you are legally required to carry auto insurance to protect yourself in these kinds of situations. The police cannot realistically handle every single fender-bender that occurs, so if both drivers are insured, then there is no reason for police intervention.

Things change when the stakes are higher, however. If the car accident caused serious damage, injuries, or even ended in fatalities, then the police should be called at the scene.

What Can You Do to File the Report?

If the situation warrants it, you should call 911 and get the police directly at the scene, where they can take your statements, talk to witnesses, and file their own report. The preliminary version of that report will generally be published online on the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s website, and it will remain there for 29 days. This will contain rough information about the event.

To get the full report, you’ll have to make an official request with the MSHP.

If, however, you did not call the police on the scene but still want to file a report, you can then do so directly at the nearest precinct.

Will There Be an Investigation?

If an official report is filed, then the police have a duty to investigate the issue mentioned in the report. However, the depth of the investigation, as well as how long it will take greatly depends on the severity of the car crash.

Accidents with many injuries or fatalities will obviously be prioritized, particularly because there is also a criminal component. However, more minor accidents might not generate a lot of details in the police report.

Speak With an Experienced Attorney

If you’ve been injured in a car accident, and plan on getting compensation, you should reach out to a St. Louis car injury lawyer as soon as possible for legal advice. They will help you understand and protect your legal rights after a car accident. Give us a call 24/7 for a FREE consultation at (314) 361-4242.