May 2024

If you have been hurt by another person’s negligence, you will invariably ask this question at some point. You may research what your injuries are worth online or call around asking lawyers. The answer to this question is it depends. Some back injuries are only worth $15,000, while others are worth $40,000,000. Why the disparity? The biggest driver of a personal injury claim’s value is the extent and severity of the injuries and how much past, present and future medical care those injuries will require. People who are paralyzed and require around the clock care will require millions of dollars in future medical costs. People who only have soft tissue injuries which resolve in a couple of months may only get $10,000 for their claim. Experience in this area has shown me that unrepresented people do not get anywhere near as much as those who are represented by a really good personal injury lawyer. Adjusters are not intimidated by unrepresented people and usually low ball them when making a settlement offer. This is why it’s important to speak to an experienced injury attorney who can help you get a better idea of what your injury claim is worth.

So you need to get a police report, but how do you do it? Each law enforcement agency has their own system of obtaining a police report. In Texas, you have to either be someone involved in the car accident or their retained attorney. In Covington, Louisiana, for example, the police officer who investigates the accident scene will usually hand you a slip of paper called an “item number.” This will have a number you can use to locate the actual Uniform Crash Report. That’s what they call it in Louisiana when a police officer writes a detailed report after a vehicle collision. The law enforcement agency usually needs a few days to actually complete the police report so you may have to wait just a bit before requesting the report. From there, you can search online for the police department’s website and look for “request a police report” link. You will usually have to fill out a form of who you are an pay a fee of around $20. Then, the department will usually email you a copy of the police report with any corresponding photos if they took them. For example, the Covington Police Department website explains their process of requesting a police report. Of course you can always call us if you have been in a car accident and we can do all of that leg work for you. What’s in a police report? The names of all drivers involved in the crash, their addresses and their insurance companies and policy numbers will be included. The police do not post your insurance coverage limits, however. The office will also mark whether there were any observable defects in the car or road, and whether any of the drivers did anything improper or violated any traffic or other laws. The officer will also note the road and weather conditions (is it dry, raining, etc.) At the end of the police report will be a narrative of what each driver said and any witness statements. The officer will usually draw a diagram of the vehicles before and after the collision.