After a motor vehicle accident, you should seek medical attention and if required contact emergency services, this includes speaking to the police and filing a police report.
Many people involved in a car accident, or any type of accident, may be tentative about involving the police in the matter.
Filing a police report can seem overwhelming but it is a vital part of your claim after a motor vehicle accident. By making a police report, the people involved in a car accident are protecting themselves more, especially when car accident claims are being made.
Depending on which state or territory you live in you will either be filing a TAC or CTP claim. Sometimes the police will come to the scene of the accident but if they haven’t, you must report your motor vehicle accident to the police before you can lodge your claim.
What is a Police Report?
A police report is a document written by a police officer which outlines the details of the accident. Depending on the nature of the accident, a police report may range from a simple one-page document to more detailed multiple paged documents.
Once a police report is made, the person reporting will be provided with a police event number. This event number plays an important role if you choose to make a claim after the car accident has occurred.
What information is included in a Police Report?
- Where the car accident occurred
- The names and details of the parties involved
- The date and time of the car accident
- The car registration details of the cars involved
- Whether anybody sustained injuries
- Whether there was any damage to the cars involved
- Statements of witnesses or other drivers
How to file a police report?
If you have not made a police report at the scene of the car accident, then a police report can be made any time afterwards by attending a police station or via the police assistance line.
Why is it important to make a Police Report?
A police report represents an official unbiased third-party report of the car accident.
If you develop any injuries after a motor vehicle accident, a police report can help to establish that those injuries were caused by the accident itself, and not for any other reason.
Many insurers will require a police event number, which is given only when a police report is made. This police report will be crucial evidence for any compensations claims you make insurers may reject compensation claims purely on the basis that there is no police documentation for the car accident.
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How long should I wait before making a Police Report?
Police should be called immediately, or at the latest 28 days following the accident. If there is a failure to make a police report within 28 days of the car accident, then insurers may reject any claims on this basis, or require a justification for this delay.
What to expect
Learn about what to expect in a Motor Vehicle Accident compensation claim process.