How To Get A Police Report After a Car Accident In Maryland
Kellie T. Barnes, Attorney at Law helps women in Maryland when they’re injured in a car accident.
Being in a car accident is stressful no matter what, but when it happens, having the right information can make things a lot easier. One of the most important documents after a crash is the police report. But how do you actually get one?
That’s where we can help. We can guide you through the process and answer any questions you have. Set up a free consultation today.
How Do I Get a Police Report After My Car Accident?
When you’re in a car accident in Maryland, the last thing you’re thinking about is getting paperwork and documentation. But it’s still important for later, and no piece of documentation is as important for figuring out what happened as the police report will be.
Every outfit has their own process for documenting accidents, but virtually every police report has the same kinds of information:
- Time, date, and location of the accident.
- Contact and insurance information for you and anyone else involved.
- Statements from witnesses or bystanders, as well as from you and the other drivers.
- A brief description of damage to vehicles or injuries.
- Diagrams, photos, and an initial assessment of what happened from the officer. They base these things off what they see and what people tell them.
But it’s a question about how you actually get this report. And that also depends on where you are and what police agency you’re dealing with. Generally speaking, you have a few different options:
- Call or visit the local police department. Most departments have a Records Division that handles requests for reports and recordkeeping. Usually, you visit and have to pay a processing fee, but this will allow you to get your hands on a physical copy of the report.
- Online requests. Like most everything else in this day and age, many police agencies let you request accident reports online. You can usually do that directly through their website or the Maryland Judiciary Case Search.
- Public information request. This takes the most time, but a public information request through FOIA or something similar allows you to get an official copy of the report. Typically you only need to do this if you need a fully-certified copy if there’s questions about what’s actually contained in the report itself.
Once you have your copy of the report, the focus shifts on how you can actually use it.
You might think that it speaks for itself, but at least legally, the police report can’t be used as direct evidence in court because it’s considered “hearsay.” But that doesn’t mean that this information in the report isn’t going to factor into the claims process.
How Can I Use a Police Report When I File a Car Accident Claim?
Again, just because you can’t use the police report you have as official evidence if you go to court doesn’t mean it won’t factor into your claim before it reaches a courtroom. In fact, one of the first things an insurance company is going to go to is this police report. They’ll use this to set a baseline for:
- What they think happened.
- How exposed their driver or policy is.
- The basic facts about the accident.
From there, though, everything is open to interpretation. So, the question then becomes “how can I use the police report to help me?” Here’s how:
- Using it to understand what happened. This is the starting point with any police report. It helps you piece together the accident, track down witnesses, and get a full picture of what went wrong. Even if the report itself can’t always be used in court, the details inside often point to stronger evidence you can use.
- Helping with insurance. When talking to the insurance company, a police report gives you a solid frame of reference. It lays out the facts clearly, which can make it much easier to get a fair settlement without unnecessary back-and-forth.
- Finding problems early. Even with police reports, there can be issues. If something in the report is wrong—like the wrong location or car damage that wasn’t fully documented—you can ask for it to be corrected. That will give you (and an insurance company) even more accurate records.
- Keeping a reliable record. Time blurs the details of accidents. Having your own copy of the report means you’ll always have an accurate record of exactly what was documented that day.
A police report is helpful, but it’s far from the only thing you need to build a strong car accident claim. You’ll still need medical records, your own pictures/videos, statements, and other information to put together a full picture of what happened. At that point, though, you start moving forward.
Kellie T. Barnes Can Help You If You’ve Been in a Car Accident in Maryland
Even a minor car can create big headaches—doctor visits, repair bills, lost work, and stressful insurance calls.
That’s why things like a police report are important, though. They give a neutral, official record of what happened. From there though, everything else is up in the air.
At Kellie T. Barnes, Attorney at Law, we can help you and your family be prepared for any eventuality you run into during a car accident claim. Here’s how we’ll help you:
- Explain your rights and options. We start with laying out your options and how the law works around car accidents, no matter where you are in Maryland.
- Gather key evidence. We’ll help you get the police report if you don’t have one already, and we’ll also make sure you get other key evidence so your claim is strong throughout the process.
- Handle talks with the insurance company. This is overlooked, but we deal with the back-and-forth with the insurance company so you don’t have to.
- Negotiate fair settlements. The entire goal of the process is to get a fair settlement from the insurance company when you file a claim. We make sure you have what you need to do that, but we’re also ready if that doesn’t happen
- Take your case to court if needed. If the insurance company won’t budge, we’re ready to help you file a lawsuit in civil court.
Most of all, our focus is on making the process less stressful while you focus on getting back to normal. Having the right guidance—and a copy of your police report—can make a big difference in how smoothly your claim moves forward. To get started, reach out today for a free consultation.