Do You Have To Call The Police After An Accident?
Often after facing an accident, we have this question in the mind- “do you have to call the police after an accident?”
Well if you want to be on the safe side, it is better to call up and inform them about the incident which you went through. Because in an accident where injuries and damages have taken place, involvement of the police is mandatory. Follow this blog for a more detailed discussion on this topic.
Why should you call the police?
Supposedly, you met with an accident, and it was a minor one. Now, you might think to just settle the matter by talking it out with the other party. Because the involvement of the police will mean a thousand documents, pieces of evidence, proof of damages, filing a general diary with the police, etc.
But, however tedious the work may seem, it is always very much necessary to inform the police about an accident. In fact, in some states and regions, it is a mandated thing to do after the occurrence of an accident, no matter how minor or major the severities might be. And that is because, if you are the one who has suffered the damages more than the opposite party, the latter might not admit to their mistakes and come to a settlement. The accused party might also threaten and try to intimidate you by presenting their minor damages to be greater than yours.
So, involving the police would mean that there will be proper scrutiny of the incident. Moreover, assessment of damages and circumstantial evidence are necessary to claim recompensation. These documents are sorted out by the police, without which a car accident settlement would become a tougher challenge for you as the victim party.
When do you call the police after a car accident?
Well, as stated already, in many regions, it is a mandated rule to call the police after the occurrence of an accident. But, it is also a fact that if the accident has resulted in very little vehicular damage and not a single personal damage, it is better to settle matters within yourselves. Because to be very honest, in big metro cities, the police do have their share of serious matters to take care of. Therefore, frivolous cases would only consume your time and energy, and nothing less.
But, the police should certainly be called when-
● The damage amount or severity exceeds the thresholds recommended by the state regulations.
● Any party involved in the accident gets severely or minorly injured because of the impact of the incident.
● The accident occurred because of issues like traffic violations by a party.
● It is evident that the other party is at fault and has resulted in the occurrence of the accident.
What can a police officer do?
Suppose you faced an accident, and have called the police. Now the question comes, what can the investigating officer do that would help to curb the situation?
Well, it should be known by all that an experienced investigating officer can help when the situation becomes clumsy and confusing. Here’s what the police officers would do-
● The first and foremost thing that an investigating officer would do is protect the scene of the occurrence. Because there can be a lot of evidence that we might not understand that would help their investigation of this case.
● Another thing that a police officer would do is they would scrutinize the entire incident, and would thoroughly investigate the probable causes of the accident, and take necessary documentation.
● The most important thing that the officer can do is put up a call for emergency medical care in case of a severe injury. However, it is better to always call for medical help before calling the cops at times of severities like this.
What should you do before the police arrive at the spot?
Official documentation, evidence collection, assessment of injuries, etc. are all part of an official investigation. These might even be necessary when you hire a car accident attorney for filing a recompense. But what about the time right after the accident? Well, the following are the things you need to do after seeing the occurrence of a minor accident before the police arrive at the spot-
● Try to protect the scene of the incident and not let anyone touch or get hold of things that are lying there.
● Try to gather information about witnesses- like their names, contact information, etc.
● Realize and assess the current situation.
● Try to help any individual who has been hurt because of the accident. If possible get them medical care as fast as you can.
● Try to collect as much evidence as possible.
Therefore, these are the answers to such often asked questions “do you have to call the police after an accident?”.
Useful Related Article: Know Your Legal Rights When You Injure Yourself At Work?
