Getting and Reading an Accident Report

After a car accident occurs in the state of Connecticut, it is in your best interest to contact the police and have a police officer come to the scene of the accident. This is a step to take in order to protect yourself and establish evidence that the other driver was at-fault for causing the accident. This can ultimately be used as evidence if you need to file a personal injury claim or lawsuit against the other driver, and it can build your case in establishing that the other driver is responsible for damages from the accident. Here, you can learn more about what a police officer will do when they come to the scene and how to work with an accident report.

Reporting a Connecticut Car Crash

After a car accident occurs, you may wonder what the role of the police will be in the situation. If you call the police and an officer comes to the scene, they will do many things. First, they will take pictures of the accident from every angle. This is something that you can do as well, but having official pictures in the accident report will help you establish what actually happened to cause the accident. Through looking at the angle of the vehicles and other factors, the police officer will determine who caused the accident and include this in their police report. They will also do things such as speak to the drivers involved in the accident as well as any witnesses, provide medical attention if necessary, and establish and present you with an official report of the accident.

If the officer suspects that the other driver was under the influence at the time of the crash, they may investigate this potential issue by asking the driver to submit to standardized field sobriety tests, breathalyzer tests, etc. The police may or may not make a DUI arrest in this situation.

It is useful to involve the police so that the responsible party does not deny what happened. It is natural that the other party may not want to involve their insurance company or pay for damages related to the accident. If the other party disputes what happens or denies their fault, an official accident report can help determine the facts and hold the other driver accountable.

The Connecticut Car Accident Report

The document that the police use to document an accident is the Connecticut Uniform Police Crash Report, also known as Form PR-1. This form may be used by your insurance company or the other driver’s insurance company in determining faults and payouts. They can also be used in depositions or trials, though they are not always admissible in court. Even if your accident report is not admissible in court, it is still a useful document to have.

This accident report is broken down into different parts. These include:

• A basic account of the accident.
• Crash factors.
• Work zone crash information.
• A visual and written summary of the accident.
• Motor vehicle information.
• Motor vehicle ownership information.
• Information about property damages in the accident.
• Driver information.
• Injury information.
• Enforcement actions that the police took at the scene.
• Passenger information (if applicable).
• Non-motorist information (if applicable).

If you need assistance reading your accident report, contact our office. We have reviewed many of these reports and know how to find the relevant information. We are happy to help with specific questions or assist you in a lawsuit if you have decided to file one.