Recovering from a car accident is never easy, especially when there are injuries involved. Accidents involving police cars can be even more difficult to recover from because there's a lot of red tape to go through. That doesn't mean you should give up. If you've been in a car accident involving a police car and the police officer was at fault, you need to take action as quickly as possible. Here are some tips that will help you file a personal injury claim.
Don't Assume You're Out of Luck
If you've been in a car accident and the other driver was an on-duty police officer, you may assume that you're out of luck. Many people wrongly assume that police officers are automatically safeguarded against liability when they're involved in a car accident. But, that's not necessarily the case, especially if they weren't obeying traffic laws at the time of the accident. Even if the police officer was responding to a call at the time of the accident, they may still be liable for any injuries you sustain. For instance, if the police officer didn't have their lights and sirens activated at the time of the accident, you may be able to receive compensation for your injuries.
Hire a Personal Injury Attorney
If you've been injured in a car accident involving an on-duty police officer, you need to hire an attorney as soon as possible. Filing a personal injury claim against an on-duty police officer can be difficult and stressful. But, that doesn't mean you shouldn't go forward with your claim, especially if the police officer was driving negligently at the time of the accident. It does mean that you need to have legal representation before you go forward with the claim. A personal injury attorney will help to level the playing field and help you to avoid mistakes when filing a claim against the officer.
Document the Accident
Regardless of who hit you, you need to document the events surrounding the accident. You're going to need as much evidence as you can gather, especially any evidence that points to negligence on the part of the police officer. Some evidence that you need to gather includes witness statements, as well as pictures or videos from anyone who witnessed the accident. It's also important that write down everything you remember about the accident while the details are still fresh in your mind.
Get a Copy of the Accident Report
Finally, if you've been in a car accident, and the other driver was an on-duty police officer, get a copy of the accident report immediately. You'll want to share the report with your personal injury attorney as soon as possible. This will allow you to dispute any information that was placed in the report.
If you need legal representation, contact law services like Todd East Attorney at Law to learn more.
Share
