Can You File an Insurance Claim Without a Police Report?

If you get into a car accident, you’re going to have to file an insurance claim. If you were at fault, you’ll have to file one against your own policy. But if the other driver was at fault, you’ll have to file a claim against his policy. This is your best way of recovering for your injuries. If you have to file a lawsuit, there is no guarantee you’ll win. You could end up with nothing. This is especially true if you don’t retain a Texas car accident lawyer. If you want the best chances of your claim getting approved, you should call the police. When the insurance company gets the claim, they’re going to need to investigate it. They aren’t just going to pay the claim without a police report. If they did this, they’d go bankrupt within a few months.

The best resource for proving that the other driver was at fault is the police report. It contains vital information that you just can’t get any other way. If you don’t call the police, you’re limiting your chances of recovering for your injuries. This is why Texas auto accident attorneys tell their clients to always call the police after an accident. Not only will they provide a police report, but they’ll do a thorough accident investigation.

What Information is in the Police Report?

There is a lot of crucial information contained in the police report. This is information your lawyer won’t be able to get later on. Even if he can, it will be expensive and time consuming. This is why you should always call the police after a car crash in Texas.

Here are a few things included in the police report:

• Name, license and insurance information for both drivers
• Name and contact information for witnesses
• Statements made by both drivers
• Witness statements
• Pictures of the scene, road conditions and the vehicles
• Whether either driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the accident
• Information regarding any citations issued as a result of the accident

This information is vital for your insurance claim. The insurance company is normally going to accept whatever the police report says. If it says their client was clearly at fault, they’ll probably pay your claim. If, however, it says you were at fault, you may have your work cut out for you.

The other things the police are going to do is investigate the scene. They’ll check to see if either driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If they are, it’ll say so in the police report. This can help prove your claim as well.

What if You Don’t Have a Police Report?

If you don’t have a police report, it’s going to raise some questions. The insurance company is going to wonder why you didn’t call the cops. Were you hiding something? Were you afraid of what they may find?

If you don’t call the police, the insurance company may assume you were at fault. There is really no good excuse for not calling the police. The insurance adjuster will think the worst possible scenario.

You don’t want to make things any harder on your attorney than they already are. If your claim is denied, he’ll have to appeal it. He’ll have to show proof that the other driver was at fault. This will be very difficult, if not impossible, to do.

The insurance company already has an incentive to not pay your claim. If you don’t provide them with a police report, you’re making it really easy for them to deny your claim.

Contact a Texas Car Accident Attorney Right Away

If you or your loved one are involved in a car crash, you need to call a Texas car accident attorney right away. Your lawyer can handle the insurance claim for you. If it’s denied, which may happen, they can also handle the appeal.

If the insurance company refuses to pay your claim, you’ll have no choice but to file a lawsuit. Your car accident attorney can do this for you. This way, you can focus on getting better while your lawyer handles the legal side of things.

Call and schedule your free initial consultation today. It gives you a chance to sit down with an experienced car accident attorney in Texas who can answer any questions you may have. He can also review you case and let you know what it’s worth.

The consultation is free and you pay nothing until you win your case.