Getting into a car accident can be a painful experience. Not only can it leave you with costly vehicle repairs, but it could also leave you with lasting injuries. Proving that someone else is to blame for your accident and injuries is crucial to collect compensation from them.
Police reports are of great importance to personal injury claims after you suffer injuries in a Las Vegas car accident. Because police are objective observers of the car accident and are trained to review witness statements and visual clues, their report can help your lawyer prove that someone else caused your car accident and injuries.
Filing a Las Vegas Car Accident Police Report
When you get into a car accident in Las Vegas, you can always call the police to come help you. Especially if you have suffered injuries, calling 911 is critical to making sure you get the medical care and attention you deserve.
If you call 911 and the police come to the accident scene, they will file a police report. There is nothing you need to do other than provide the police your information and your view of what happened. The police will speak with you, the other driver, and any witnesses. Together, they will compile a report that may even include a diagram of how they interpret the accident to have occurred.
How to Report an Accident After It Happens
If your accident is not as serious or you do not have any injuries, you may not call 911 from the accident scene. While it is almost always recommended that you call 911 to make sure you receive the medical care you deserve, you can file a police report yourself after the accident.
Using the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles Report of Traffic Crash form, you can file an accident report within ten days of your crash. Nevada law requires that a traffic crash report is filed if there is $750 or more of property damage or if an accident resulted in injury or death.
The form will also request the following information:
- Date of the crash
- Time of the crash
- Location of the crash
- Names and personal information of every person involved in the accident
- Information about each vehicle involved
- Description of the accident
- Description of the damaged property
- Description of injuries
- Estimate for vehicle repairs
For anyone who suffered injuries, they will also need to submit copies of their medical records or doctor’s notes detailing the extent of their injuries and estimates of medical treatment. Filing this form also requires you to sign it under penalties of perjury so make sure that you are honest and accurate in the information you provide.
How to Get a Copy of a Las Vegas Accident Report
Whether you have filed your own accident report or the police have done it for you, having a copy of the crash report will prove valuable as you attempt to recover compensation for your injuries and property damage. You can request a copy of your report online. You will need to provide:
- Your name
- Your phone number
- The date, time, and location of the accident
You will be required to pay a fee of $10 to obtain a copy of the report. Once you have completed the information and paid the fee, you will receive an emailed copy of the crash report.
If, however, you need to pick up a copy of your accident report in person, you may need to wait up to 30 days after your request. Getting your report in person will mean you need to bring your valid government-issued identification, like a driver’s license, to pick up the report.
What to Do if Information in the Report Is Wrong
Here’s where things can get tricky. Even if a police officer files your accident report, they are still human and may get some information wrong. Sometimes, a police officer will note the wrong driver’s name as being at fault. Other times, a police officer may note the accident occurred at a different intersection than the one where it really happened.
This can be worrying, especially if you get your crash report and you see inaccurate information. But don’t lose too much sleep over this detail. Under Nevada law, accident reports are actually not admissible as evidence except to prove basic facts like:
- Time of the accident
- Location of the accident
- Names of parties involved in the accident
- Police officers who responded to the accident
While it’s important to get this information right, if you notice it is wrong on your crash report, it is something we can work to fix. We can question the responding officers and ask them to correctly identify the date of the accident, for example. We can also use phone records to the at-fault driver’s insurance company to show that they called their insurance company just hours after the accident and that is the date the accident occurred.
Get the Legal Support You Need with an Attorney Today
When you get into a car accident in Las Vegas, it can be confusing about what comes next. Even if all you have to deal with are vehicle repairs, it can be extremely frustrating and difficult to get the information you need to prove that someone else was at fault and that they or their insurance company is responsible for your repair costs.
This is why it is vital to partner with an experienced Las Vegas car accident attorney. During this tumultuous time, you need trusted legal support and guidance to help you get the crash report and prove that someone else is to blame for your accident, vehicle damage, and injuries. Contact Pacific West Injury Law online or call us today.
