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Cincinnati Injury Lawyer: Call the Police After A Car Crash

A wrecked card that is about to get towed.

If you’re a teenager and you’re learning how to drive, your teacher probably focused on the traffic laws. Our parents or siblings show us how drive a car and teach us the rules of the road. However, what people don’t tell you is what you’re supposed to do if you get into an accident. This means that Cincinnati injury lawyers end up representing people who made crucial mistakes following their crash.

Sometimes, people forgot to take pictures of the damage to their vehicle. Other times, we find out that our client didn’t call the police because the other driver asked them not to. Regardless of the reason, there’s never a good excuse to not call 911 after your car accident. Your car accident lawyer in Cincinnati needs the information contained in the police report. Without it, they’ll be fighting an uphill battle to prove your case.

Here, we’ll explain why it’s so important that you call the police immediately after your crash. This is the case no matter how minor the accident may seem. We will also discuss why it’s so important that your car accident lawyer in Cincinnati has a copy of the police report while preparing your case. If you happen to have any specific questions about your own accident case, give us a call. We can always schedule your free, initial consultation over the phone. Or, if you prefer to deal with things online, you can always set up and appointment through our website.

The Police Will Do a Thorough Investigation of the Crash

The first thing your Cincinnati injury lawyer will tell you that you need to do after your car accident is call the cops. As soon as you get on the phone with the 911 operator, they’ll dispatch a team of officers to come to the crash site. They’ll also arrange for ambulance transport for anyone with serious injuries. When the cops do show up, they’re going to do a thorough investigation of the accident.

The officers will speak with both drivers to see what their story is. They will also look at the road conditions and wreckage of the accident. They will look for things like tire tracks or skid marks. They will also look around to see if there were any eyewitnesses. If so, they’ll get their statements along with their contact information. This is probably the most important information contained in the police report.

If your Cincinnati injury has a way to get in touch with the eyewitnesses, it will open a new source of evidence. If the witnesses indicate that they saw the other driving doing something that would qualify as a “breach of duty” as required by negligence, it will be a tremendous help.

You Have No Way of Knowing if the Other Driver is Being Honest with You

If you don’t call the police, you’ll be left to deal with the other driver on your own. Obviously, in retrospect, this probably doesn’t seem like the best of ideas. The driver could take off on you, knowing you had no reason to jot down their license plate. As long as they act agreeable, they figure you’ll take them at their word. Unfortunately, their word is not always the truth.

An example of this is the way drivers exchange insurance information. Today, one would be hard pressed to find a single person who doesn’t own a cell phone. Modern cell phones all have camera and videorecorder technology. All you have to do is take a picture of the other driver’s insurance card. Make sure you look at the expiration on the policy.

Our Cincinnati injury lawyer has handled our share of cases where all the personal information the defendant gave our clients was false. Sadly, this happens more than you think. (Now, had the cops been there, they would have run the vehicles’ tags. They would have also checked to confirm the driver’s credentials were valid. By not calling the police, you lose this layer of protection.

The Defendant Could Have Been Drunk at the Time of the Accident

Another reason why it’s so important that you call 911 immediately after your crash is that the other driver may have been drunk at the time of the crash. If you don’t call the police, your Cincinnati injury lawyer will have to find some other way to prove the defendant was at fault. Had you called 911, the police would have been able to subject the other driver to a breathalyzer and field sobriety test to see if they’re drunk. However, it will come down to a “he said, she said” kind of situation. Nothing good ever comes from this sort of situation.

Don’t Make Your Attorney’s Job Any Harder than it Already Is

A lot of people assume that their Cincinnati injury lawyer can hunt down witnesses and evidence for their case. It’s almost as if they envision a team of investigators stopping at nothing until they get you the evidence you need. The reality is that car accident lawyers in Cincinnati don’t dedicate full-time investigators in that way. When they first meet with you, one of the things they’re going to look at is the evidence. If they don’t feel there is sufficient information to prove your case, they’ll let you know. They aren’t going to get your hopes up unfairly.

However, if your Cincinnati injury lawyer thinks they can craft a solid complaint even without a police report, they will let you know. They’ll tell you what to expect in the coming weeks and months. And, when it comes time to settle, they’ll keep you informed of any offers, no matter how small or large.

We suggest that you contact our office as soon as possible after your crash. You have no idea if the insurance company is going to pay your claim. You may find out weeks after the crash that your claim has been denied. If this happens to you, you’ll need a good car accident lawyer in Cincinnati to help you. Since we offer all new clients a free, initial consultation, you have nothing to lose.

Jay A. Bolotin is a partner at the injury law firm of Young, Reverman & Bolotin. Serving the people of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, Jay dedicates his career to helping clients in the tri-state area obtain financial compensation after suffering serious injuries. He focuses his practice on cases involving car accidents, trucking accidents, dog bites and animal attacks, and other types of personal injury incidents.

Years of Experience: More than 25 years
Registration Status:: Active
Bar Admissions: Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Cincinati Bar Association