A police report may help you pursue compensation after a Georgia motor vehicle accident. You can request a Georgia police accident report from the law enforcement agency itself or the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT). You may also purchase a police report online for immediate download.
Our Georgia car accident lawyers at Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., often use police reports when building motor vehicle collision cases. Requesting a police report could help you strengthen a claim when an insurance company won’t offer a fair settlement.
What Information Is on the Police Car Accident Report?
According to the GDOT, a police department should use the Georgia Motor Vehicle Crash Report (GDOT-523) form to file a collision report. The police reffport may contain this information:
- Date, time, and location of the wreck
- Information about vehicles involved
- Information about drivers involved and their condition
- Information about the behaviors of drivers that may have contributed to the crash
- Information about occupants
- Diagrams
- Narrative of the collision
- Witness information
- Description of damage to vehicles and people
The form includes space for other data and details a police officer may consider relevant when filing their report. For example, perhaps your crash involved a commercial motor vehicle. A section of the form offers space for additional information the federal government may require in these circumstances.
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Police Accident Report in Georgia?
The cost of getting a copy of a police accident report in Georgia can depend on your method. Options include:
- Order a police report online – GDOT allows users to order police accident reports online through BuyCrash. Ordering a police report through BuyCrash costs $13.
- Request a police report by mail – You can mail a form to GDOT to request a physical copy of a police accident report. A report costs $5 if you choose this method. For a certified report, the cost is $7.
- Visit the law enforcement agency – You may visit the police department that filed the report in person to request a copy. The fee for buying a report directly from the police will vary from one law enforcement agency to another.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Safety (DPS), you may also submit a request for a police report through Georgia’s Open Records Act. The cost of a crash report through this method begins at $5.
How Long Might It Take to Receive My Accident Report?
Contact the law enforcement agency that investigated your accident to find out how long it may be before the police report is available. Often, a police report becomes available a few days after a collision. However, the timeline may be longer in complex cases.
Your method for requesting a police report will also influence how long it takes to get the report. If you buy a police report online through BuyCrash, you can immediately download the report once you find it.
Processing times for police report requests may vary from one agency to another if you submit a request through mail or in person. The GDOT request form also states that processing times can take longer when request forms contain errors. Make sure your information is accurate when requesting a police report to speed up its delivery.
Do All Georgia Car Accidents Have a Police Accident Report?
Not all Georgia car wrecks have police reports. The law doesn’t require drivers to report every single collision.
However, if you’re filing a car accident claim, the wreck likely caused enough damage that someone should have reported it to the police. Typically, a law enforcement agency will generate a police report in any instance when the police have responded at the accident scene.
Should I Always File a Police Report?
Georgia law requires drivers to report crashes to the police when they cause:
- Injury,
- Death, or
- At least $500 in property damage
It’s not always immediately clear when a collision has caused injury. A concussion or other such injury might not cause noticeable symptoms right away. In addition, you may not be able to determine the extent of the property damage in a collision’s immediate aftermath.
Err on the side of caution and call 911 to report any motor vehicle accident you’re involved in. Doing so may be a legal requirement. Reporting your accident to the police might also improve your chances of receiving compensation.
Can a Police Accident Report Help with My Car Accident Claim?
A police report could strengthen your car accident claim in several ways. Examples include:
- Proving negligence – The police report may support your argument that a negligent driver caused your wreck.
- Providing evidence – A police report may include photos of the accident scene. If a police report includes such materials, it may be a valuable source of evidence.
- Showing the negligent driver broke the law – A police report may state whether it appears the driver who caused your wreck broke any laws.
Proving negligence may not be necessary if a law enforcement agency states a driver broke a traffic law when your collision occurred. The legal doctrine of negligence per se dictates that a party may automatically be negligent in the eyes of the law when they violate a safety statute. If your crash happened because a driver broke a safety law, you may not need to gather additional evidence of negligence.
You should discuss your circumstances with a Georgia car accident lawyer in greater detail. They could explain how a police report may be useful in your specific case.
Is a Police Report Necessary in a Car Accident Legal Claim?
You can file an insurance claim or lawsuit without a police report. However, having one can be highly beneficial. An accident report can provide vital information to strengthen your claim. Critically, while some states consider the information in police reports to be hearsay and therefore inadmissible in court, Georgia allows them to be used as evidence.
Can the General Public Access Police Reports?
Due to the Georgia Open Records Act, police reports are public records, meaning the general public can access the information freely. However, there may be some limitations on the type of information available to protect the privacy of individuals involved in the collision. If the accident is actively under investigation, there may be a delay or restrictions in releasing the report. They must also have the details about the crash needed to access the report.
How Can I Request an Accident Report Using the Georgia Open Records Act?
The Georgia Open Records Act allows anyone to contact their local State Patrol Post or the Open Records Unit to request a crash report. The inquiring party must fill out an official request form and include it when filing.
How Do I Use BuyCrash.com to Get My Police Report Online?
BuyCrash.com is an online service where you can get copies of traffic collision reports filed by various police departments in Georgia. To access your report, visit the website and enter the required information, such as your name and the state, jurisdiction, and the date of the accident. After paying a fee, you may download your report.
Can I Get an Accident Report If I Didn’t Call the Police?
If no officer came to the crash scene, a report may not be available. In this case, you will want to gather as much evidence as possible surrounding the accident. This includes:
- Taking pictures of the vehicles and crash site
- Getting contact information from all witnesses and involved parties
- Sharing insurance information
- Documenting injuries and damages to your car
An attorney can help you understand your rights and how to deal with this situation.
FAQs
How Do I Get an Accident Report When I Don’t Know Which Police Department Responded to My Wreck?
If you are unsure of which police department you need to call for your report, you should begin by pinpointing the exact location of the accident. A highway marker or the names of the cross streets can help you identify the specific jurisdiction of the crash. You can then contact the closest law enforcement agency and provide them with the location information to verify they have the report. This may be the Georgia State Patrol, a local police department, or a county sheriff’s office.
Additionally, you can use the Georgia Department of Transportation to file your accident report by performing a state-wide search.
Does Someone Involved in a Car Accident Have to Be Injured for the Police to File a Report?
A police officer may create a report for the crash regardless of whether anyone sustains injuries. Under Georgia law, anyone who is involved in a motor vehicle accident that results in injury, death, or $500 of property damage must report it to law enforcement immediately. This ensures that a report is available regarding a collision for insurance claims or legal proceedings, regardless of whether there are significant injuries.
Is It a Requirement for Police Reports to Be Created at Accident Scenes When Someone Receives a Ticket?
Police will typically create a report of a collision at the same time as they cite involved drivers for traffic violations. This report will provide details of the violation and the officer’s observations at the scene. The offending driver will also receive a copy of their traffic citation at the crash site.
Contact a Georgia Car Accident Lawyer
At Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., a police report is just one of many factors our Georgia car accident lawyers may use when working to maximize the compensation for your claim. Our goal is to tailor our approach to your case to offer the effective representation you deserve. Get started today by contacting us online or calling us for a free case review.
