Obtaining a Missouri Police Car Accident Report

If you are injured in a Missouri car accident caused by another driver, you have the legal right to ask for compensation from the at-fault party.

Filing a car accident claim can be done with the help of a Missouri car accident attorney. You will need to provide proof of your injury and other damages and proof that you were not the cause of the accident. Certain documents can be used, such as the police car accident report, to provide a basis for your car accident claim.

What to Do When Involved in a Missouri Car Accident

If you are involved in a motor vehicle accident in Missouri, you are required by law to stop your car at the scene. Failure to do so is considered a crime and could hurt your chances of being reimbursed for any financial damage. Only move your car if you can and if it is in a position that is likely to cause another car crash. Otherwise, leave it where it is until the police instruct you to move it. If you can, before any vehicle is moved, use your cell phone to photograph exactly how the cars where positioned after the crash. This could go a long way in showing who caused the accident to happen. The Missouri Department of Motor Vehicles also recommends that you help anyone who is hurt, call the police, set up flares around the scene if it is dark, exchange insurance and contact information with the other driver, and remain at the scene until a police officer tells you to, unless you are seriously hurt and need immediate medical attention.

The Missouri Police Accident Report

When the police are called to the scene of an accident, they will fill out a report detailing what they found and any conclusions that they come to. They may interview witnesses to the accident, take pictures, and discuss the accident with both drivers and any passengers involved. Their impression of the scene is important and will all be contained in the report they file with the agency they work for.

How to Obtain a Police Accident Report

Having the officer’s account of the accident is critical for your Missouri car accident claim, but how you obtain it will depend on which county the accident took place in and which law enforcement agency responded. A Missouri auto accident injury attorney will know who to contact in order to get you the report you need for your case. If the accident was minor and the police did not respond, it is your responsibility to report the accident yourself. You have one year to do so and only if the damages were greater than $500 or there was a personal injury.