How do I report a Car Accident in Georgia?

Posted in Car Accidents on October 10, 2019

Nobody wants to get into a car accident in Georgia. Unfortunately, no matter how safely you operate on the roadways, there are times when accidents happen. In many cases, a crash is caused by the careless or negligent actions of another driver. When a crash does occur, you need to know what to do in the aftermath. Once you have called the police and gone through the chaos at the scene of the crash, do you know the basics of Georgia car accident reports?

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety says that there were nearly 400,000 vehicle crashes during the last full reporting year in the state. Out of those, there were:

• 1,430 crash fatalities
• 19,405 serious crash injuries

Filing a car accident report in Georgia

In most Georgia car accidents, the police will be involved. Georgia law requires you to call 911 if the accident:

• Happened in a jurisdiction that requires a report
• Injures or kills anyone
• Causes property damage in excess of $500
• Is required to be reported by the insurance company

The police officer from the responding jurisdiction will complete a crash report if someone is injured or killed, the property damage is above $500, or at the request of any driver involved in the crash.

The Georgia Department of Driver’s Services encourages drivers in an accident to also fill out a Personal Report of Accident form. This report does not have to be filed with the police or other state agency, but it does help record essential crash information. Some insurance companies may require that you fill out this form. This form cannot be used against you in court. The law in Georgia states that no accident report filed with the DOT or any action taken by the Department of Driver Services can be used as evidence of negligence in any action to recover damages.

How to get a Georgia police report after an accident

There are three ways to get a police report after an accident:

1. Pick it up from the police department that responded to the incident
2. Order the report online
3. Let your Georgia car accident attorney get the report

If you pick the report up yourself, you must go to the jurisdiction where the crash occurred. This can be problematic if you did not get into a crash close to where you live. You can also order your report online through the website buycrash.com. On that site, you will use basic information pertaining to the crash to locate the report and pay a $5 fee to order the documents.

Regardless of how you choose to order the report, please know that it could take several days for the report to get filed and to become available to you.

Do I need to contact an attorney about my Georgia car accident?

Each car accident is different, but you should consider speaking to a Georgia car accident attorney if you or a loved one have been injured due to the negligent actions of another driver. A free consultation could help you understand whether or not you are entitled to any of the following compensation:

• Your medical expenses related to the crash
• Lost wages and benefits if you cannot work
• Pain and suffering damages
• Loss of personal enjoyment damages
• Possible punitive damages against the negligent party