Why Is It Important To Call The Police After A Car Crash?

If you have been involved in a car or truck wreck, one of the most important things to do is to call 911 and get a police officer on the scene as soon as possible. This is particularly important for significant car accidents where people are seriously injured. But it is important for even relatively minor collisions as well. There are many reasons to have a trained police officer on the scene after a crash. Below are a few reasons it is good for your personal injury case to have a police officer on site after a car or truck wreck:

1. Help with the injured: If someone is injured, a police officer can help. Most officers are trained in first aid, but they can also make sure an EMS crew and ambulance comes to the scene as soon as possible.
2. Traffic control: In many accidents, vehicles can be all over the roadway causing a potential hazard for secondary crashes to happen. An officer on the scene can alert oncoming vehicles to either slow down or stop and direct traffic around the area of the crash.
3. Take witness statements: An officer is trained to investigate accidents and come up with a scenario of what happened and how the crash occurred. This includes interviewing witnesses and taking notes. After an investigation, the officer will put together a crash report which is called the Tennessee Electronic Traffic Crash Report. This report will have everything that the officer observed and heard. These reports can be integral in subsequent litigation and proving negligence and fault on behalf of the defendant. The report will also make reference to anyone injured or anyone complaining of pain, which can be used to demonstrate that the plaintiff was truly injured immediately after the wreck.
4. Issue citations and tickets: The officer can also issue citations and tickets to the at-fault driver for violation of traffic laws. This significantly helps in any future litigation in proving that the defendant was at fault and caused the injuries. Eventually, the investigating police officer can be called as witness at trial, if necessary, to testify as to what was observed, what was said, and what citations and tickets were issued and the reasons for those tickets.
5. Protection: Sometimes, after a crash, people can get pretty angry and hot under the collar. There are often fights and assaults between two people after crashes, especially if there is a dispute as to who was at fault. If a police officer gets to the scene quickly, they are trained at de-escalating the situation and prevent people from harming each other.

The bottom line is that if you are involved in a car or truck crash, no matter how minor, call the police. Follow this rule especially if someone was injured in the accident. The police officers are there to help you if you have been seriously injured in a car or truck accident.

Robert BatesRobert is a Kingsport trial lawyer who handles car, truck and motorcycle wreck cases across the Tri-Cities. Every client gets his cell number.