In some jurisdictions, the police or community service officer, after investigating an accident gives each party a full police report. In other places/areas, the police or officer will give the people involved in the accident an “Exchange of Information” form. the Exchange of Information form lists the insurance companies and the parties involved in an accident. In some other places, the police only give the people a card which shows the case number and the investigating agency that wrote the report. Other times, the clients are not given anything at all. This is either because the police made a mistake, because the client was rushed away by ambulance, or because the client is only a passenger. Any and all of these could be the excuse as to why they were not given the case number or any information. A lot of people wait to hire a lawyer until they get the full police report, thinking that a lawyer will not handle their case until they have more information.
Certainly, at the law firm clients are not required to have a police report before the firm represents them. The first thing done after a client signs up would be to obtain the police report as quickly as possible but nonetheless the person will still be represented.
The police report is important for a case. It tells generally what happens. It includes the passengers in the cars and the insurance companies of the other people involved in the accident. Regardless, An attorney may open a case whether the police report is received upon taking a case or thereafter generally will not matter. It is best to consult with an attorney.
It is important to note that every case is unique and should be judged based on the specific facts of the case. The advice in this blog is intended to be general in nature and should not to be construed as specific advice for a case, as a minor difference in the facts of the case could change the result. Also, this blog is based on Florida law and the laws of any other states or even another country could vary from Florida.
