What Is the Police Officer Role in a Car Accident Case in Georgia?
After a car accident in Georgia, one of your first steps should be to contact the local police for help. In fact, Georgia law requires you to notify the police if an accident results in significant property damage, bodily injury, or death. You should always summon the police if involved in a collision.
What Is the Police Officer Role in a Car Accident Case in Georgia?
When a Georgia police officer arrives at the accident scene, the officer typically takes certain steps including requesting emergency medical services, securing the accident scene, redirecting traffic to prevent additional injuries, and removing wrecked vehicles from the road. The investigating officer fills out a police accident report and documents the basic facts about the accident such as who was involved and how it occurred.
If you were involved in a Georgia car accident, you may be wondering exactly how a police officer’s report and opinions could affect your case. Below, we at the law firm of R. Alan Cleveland, LLC discuss the police officer’s role in a car accident case in Georgia and what you should do after a crash caused by another driver. Remember, a car accident lawyer can help.
Contents
- 1 Does Georgia Police Always Investigate Car Accidents?
- 2 What Happens If Someone Received a Traffic Ticket in a Georgia Car Accident Injury Case?
- 3 Does a Georgia Police Officer’s Opinion Decide the Case?
- 4 What Happens If a Driver Pleads Not Guilty or Nolo Contendere to a Georgia Traffic Ticket?
- 5 What Happens After a Car Accident That Wasn’t Your Fault in Georgia?
- 6 Contact a Georgia Car Accident Attorney Today
Does Georgia Police Always Investigate Car Accidents?
Georgia police officers typically do not respond to car accidents unless they result in injuries, death, or $500 or more in vehicle damage. Drivers involved in fender benders and other minor car accidents that don’t cause significant harm are generally left to handle matters themselves. But you should always report the car accident to the police.
When police officers investigate car accidents, they usually begin by interviewing the drivers and passengers involved and any witnesses who saw the collision occur. They examine the physical evidence at the crash scene, such as vehicle damage and skid marks on the road, to determine what happened.
Depending on their findings, police officers may issue tickets to drivers who they believe may have violated the law. The investigating officer will prepare a police accident report to summarize their findings. The reports contain statements regarding the officer’s professional opinion of how the accident occurred or who was at fault in many cases.
What Happens If Someone Received a Traffic Ticket in a Georgia Car Accident Injury Case?
If a driver involved in a Georgia car accident received a traffic ticket, you might assume the ticket automatically proves that the driver was at fault. If you received a traffic ticket after the accident, you may be worried about how the traffic violation could damage your case.
It’s important to understand that a traffic ticket alone is not proof that anyone caused an accident. When a police officer issues a traffic ticket, the officer effectively accuses the recipient of violating traffic laws based on the officer’s investigation of the crash. The ticket itself, however, does not prove the ticketed person is guilty of the alleged offense.
In most cases, the way a person handles a ticket after receiving it is more significant than the mere fact that a ticket was issued. Whether a traffic ticket is admissible as evidence in a civil trial of a personal injury lawsuit depends on how the ticket was resolved.
If a driver pays the fines associated with the ticket, the driver legally acknowledges their guilt concerning the traffic offense. Under these circumstances, the driver’s legal admission to a traffic violation may be presented to a Georgia jury to demonstrate that the ticketed driver’s negligence contributed to the accident. Contact a car accident attorney today.
Does a Georgia Police Officer’s Opinion Decide the Case?
Police officers issue tickets and draft accident reports based on interviewing witnesses and other information gathered at accident scenes. However, sometimes the facts of a car accident case prove their opinions are mistaken.
When an insurance claim is filed after a car accident, the insurance adjuster will look at the police accident report. But the insurance company may conduct its own review to determine who is at fault for the accident and whether a claimant receives compensation.
In a car accident injury lawsuit, a civil jury decides who may be at fault and whether compensation should be awarded. Insurance adjusters may rely on an investigating officer’s opinion to form their decisions, but the officer’s opinion is typically just one factor.
The police officer’s opinion of who was at fault in a car accident may not be admissible in a civil trial unless the police officer witnessed the accident.
What Happens If a Driver Pleads Not Guilty or Nolo Contendere to a Georgia Traffic Ticket?
If a ticketed driver pleads not guilty to a Georgia traffic ticket, the ticket is not admissible evidence in a future personal injury lawsuit, even if the courts find the driver guilty later on. This is also true if the driver pleads nolo contendere or “no contest” to the ticket.
A plea of no contest means you agree the facts of the case are accurate but do not admit fault. As a result, such a ticket would not typically be mentioned in court.
What Happens After a Car Accident That Wasn’t Your Fault in Georgia?
If you were involved in a Georgia traffic accident that wasn’t your fault, you could protect your legal rights to claim compensation by:
- Seeking prompt medical attention for your injuries
- Following your doctor’s orders and attending all follow-up appointments
- Gathering evidence from the accident, such as photos and eyewitness statements
- Keeping track of your medical bills, car repair invoices, and receipts from other accident-related expenses
- Avoiding social media activity or making statements to other parties about the accident while your claim is pending
- Contacting a knowledgeable Georgia car accident attorney for legal advice
Contact a Georgia Car Accident Attorney Today
If you were involved in a car accident in Georgia, you may be entitled to seek compensation for your injuries and other accident-related losses. Your first call should be to the experienced Georgia personal injury attorneys at R. Alan Cleveland, LLC. We’ll be ready to discuss your case at no charge and help you understand your options for seeking compensation. Call us or reach out online as soon as possible.
An Athens resident Alan Cleveland grew up in Rockdale County. As a founding partner of the personal injury law firm of R. Alan Cleveland, LLC he proudly serves his community and provides skilled representation to injury victims and their families all around Georgia. Alan earned his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia and went on to graduate, summa cum laude, from Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School. He is also a graduate of Gerry Spence’s renowned Trial Lawyers College (TLC) in Wyoming. In his free time, Alan frequently speaks at continuing legal education seminars. He also volunteered as a youth baseball coach and assists with Georgia’s high school moot court competition held annually. Alan serves as a Trustee of Historic Athens and is a member of the Development Authority of the Unified Government of Athens-Clarke County.
