How to File a Police Report in St. Louis

Getting the Help You Need

After you’ve been in a serious car accident, a key concern may be filing a claim against the at-fault driver in order to cover your costs. A car accident claim won’t be successful, however, if you do not provide evidence to back up your claim. This evidence should include witness statements, your medical records, and, perhaps most importantly, a police report taken at the scene of the crash. These reports can make or break your claim.

How to file one, or obtain one that has already been filed, may be a mystery to you. After all, you don’t contact the Metropolitan Police Department every day. That is where we at Page Law come in. We have worked with countless car accident victims and helped get them the evidence they needed for a successful claim. This includes police reports. To speak with a member of our team, call us at 1-800-CAR-CRASH (800-227-2727). We may be able to help you.

Why File an Accident Report?

It may sound odd to file a police report for a car accident. Aren’t the Metro police here to stop criminal activity? The police actually serve many roles in St. Louis, and that includes responding to traffic accidents. In fact, under Missouri law, if you were in a car accident that resulted in at least $500 worth of damage, involved an uninsured driver, or caused someone to be injured or killed, then you are legally required to file a police report within 30 days.

Even outside of your legal obligation, filing a report can be incredibly helpful when it comes to your claim. Winning a personal injury claim, even when you are clearly in the right, requires evidence. Police reports are official documents that cover the events of the accident as observed by those involved and the reporting officer. If you are clearly the victim of a negligent driver — for example, if the other driver was drunk or distracted when he hit you, and the officer gave him a ticket at the scene — a police report can help you prove that the at-fault driver owes you compensation. Ultimately, a report could prove key when negotiating with the at-fault party and their insurance provider.

What Goes into a Police Report

A lot of information goes into accident reports, information that you can use when you are arguing for your right to compensation. A report is especially useful if you have been involved in a serious accident that resulted in you needing immediate medical assistance. It can be difficult to ask for the at-fault driver’s contact information when you are being rushed to a hospital. Vital information that a police report will have includes:

• The contact information of the other driver involved in the accident
• Who the reporting officer believes to be at fault
• Notes by the officer on what the scene of the accident looked like
• How, where, and when the accident occurred
• Further notes that help determine fault

With this information, you can lay out the at-fault driver’s liability for your damages. It is important to remember, when you file a claim against an at-fault driver, you are also filing a claim against that driver’s insurance provider. Insurance companies do not offer compensation easily and will fight you tooth and nail. The company may even try to blame you for the accident and direct responsibility from their client to you. When you have a police report that names the other driver as the cause of the accident, then you have one more piece of strong evidence that the insurance company will have to dispute in order to deny you compensation.