Izzy Yetnikoff, an injury attorney at Yetnikoff Law Offices, has extensive knowledge on all sorts of vehicle, bicycle, scooter, and pedestrian accidents. Anytime you’re involved in a accident, regardless of the severity, you should contact the police. The police report will contain important information, including:

• Time, date, and location of the accident
• Names and contact information of all parties involved in the accident
• Statements from both drivers
• Any citations that were issued
• Police opinion on who was at fault
• Identifying information for witnesses
• Conditions at the time of the crash (weather, lighting, road obstructions, etc.)

Why People Avoid Police Reports

It can be time-consuming. No one wants to wait around for the police to show up and make a report, especially after you’ve just been in an accident.

You’re at fault. If you think the police might find you at fault for the accident, it might seem like you have nothing to gain from a police report. But……

You may not end up at fault. In Arizona, fault in a car accident is determined by the law of negligence. If you make a negligence claim, the police report does not determine the outcome, even if it states that you were at fault. The officer’s determination of fault at the scene is considered an opinion, which everyone is entitled to. The insurance company, as well as the court, will make their own determination of who is at fault based on the results of an investigation.

Delayed injuries. You might not notice any significant injury at the scene of the accident. But medical issues from car accidents can take days, or even weeks to show up. It never hurts to have official documentation of the accident to protect yourself later.

Insurance Claims: Having an official report of the car accident makes it much easier for the insurance company(s) to resolve your claims. Your claims will move forward more quickly and with less hassle, if supported by a police report.

Reliable Information: If the police don’t make an appearance at the scene, the other party may not provide accurate insurance or contact information. This is a big risk, especially if the other driver is at fault. You could end up with thousands of dollars in damages and/or medical bills with no means to identify or contact the at-fault person.

Izzy Yetnikoff at Yetnikoff Law Offices, PLLC, has extensive knowledge on all sorts of vehicle, bicycle, scooter, and pedestrian accidents. If you were involved in an accident and want to recover your losses, contact Izzy Yetnikoff at Yetnikoff Law Offices, PLLC at 800-279-6331.