Georgia car accident reports contain extensive information about the injuries suffered by accident victims, damage to the vehicles, and factors suspected of contributing to the crash. Understanding how to read a police report is crucial to developing an Atlanta car accident claim.
The car accident attorneys at Bayuk Pratt have extensive experience using crash reports and other records to develop personal injury claims. If you have suffered injuries due to another driver’s carelessness, contact our Atlanta law firm today for a free consultation about your legal options. Learn how our attorneys can help you demand compensation to recover physically and financially from a crash caused by another driver.
What Are the Four Parts of a Georgia Motor Vehicle Accident Report?
Law enforcement agencies in Georgia — local police, sheriff departments, and the Georgia State Patrol — use a uniform accident report to record motor vehicle accidents. Crash reports have four main parts that provide information about car accidents: the front page, back page, overlay, and supplemental report form.
- Front of the report — On the front page of the report, you’ll find the names, addresses, and contact information for the parties involved, as well as auto insurance info and vehicle descriptions. The front page also lists the time and date of the accident.
- Back of the report — On the back page of the report, the responding officer will write a description of the accident. If there were eyewitnesses, their accounts of the crash may also be listed here, which can help determine which driver was at fault.
- Report overlay — The overlay is arguably the most important part of the report. It is where the investigating officer will note crucial information about the damage done to the vehicles, the injuries sustained by the parties involved, the suspected contributing factors, and whether an alcohol or drug test was administered.
- Supplemental report form — If the officer needs more space to record details of the accident, the officer can do so on a supplemental report form.
What Sort of Information Is Included in a Georgia Accident Report?
The information included on a Georgia accident report includes:
- Date and time of the accident
- Information for all parties involved
- Descriptions of the vehicle damage and injuries
- Suspected contributing factors to the crash
- Officer’s assumption of how the crash may have occurred
- Witness statements.
What Are Some of the Accident Codes That Are Listed on the Report?
Accident codes are a list of preset answers police can choose from when answering questions about the crash on the report. The use of accident codes and injury codes can make crash reports hard to understand. An experienced personal injury attorney who has reviewed many reports can help you understand the details of your accident report during a free consultation.
- Injury codes — Insurance companies may look at the injury code listed on a crash report when deciding whether to accept or deny an accident claim. The injury codes an officer may list on an accident report are:
- No apparent injury (O)
- Fatal injury (K)
- Suspected serious injury (A)
- Suspected minor or visible injury (B)
- Possible injury or complaint ©
- Area of initial contact codes — The codes for the area of initial impact are numbered one through twelve and correspond to directions around the vehicle in a clockwise direction. The officer can choose one of these numbers to designate where the first impact likely occurred. The codes can be helpful when building a case showing the other driver’s liability for the accident.
- Manner of collision codes — The manner of collision codes describes the type of crash that occurred. Different types of accidents can lead to varying types of injuries. Some of the codes that could apply to your case are:
- Angle
- Head-on
- Rear-end
- Sideswipe (same direction)
- Sideswipe (opposite direction)
- Not a collision with a motor vehicle
- Safety equipment codes — Safety equipment codes designate whether seatbelts, child restraints, motorcycle helmets, and other safety equipment were used at the time of the crash. These codes could play a role in assigning liability under Georgia’s modified comparative negligence law.
What Are Some Examples of Contributing Factors That Might Be Noted on the Crash Report?
The crash report overlay contains three main sections where officers can note the factors that likely contributed to the crash. These are the suspected operator, vehicle, and roadway contributing factor sections. Examples of factors that fall under these categories are:
- Suspected operator contributing factors include whether the driver followed too closely, failed to yield the right-of-way, made an improper turn, was distracted, or was driving aggressively.
- Vehicle contributing factors include whether the brakes or tires failed, whether the car had functional lights and mirrors, and whether the steering worked properly.
- Roadway contributing factors include damage to the road surface, hazards on the road, and whether the accident occurred in a highway work zone.
What Is the Georgia Open Records Act?
The Georgia Open Records Act (ORA) allows residents to request copies of public records from state and local governments. By filing a request under this act, you can obtain a copy of the accident report for the crash that injured you. Your request should include the following information:
- Your name, address, and phone number
- Names of the victims listed on the report
- Records you are requesting
- County or city in which the accident occurred
- Date of the accident
- Crash report number, if you know it.
How Would You Correct an Incorrect Accident Report?
If your accident report includes incorrect information about the incident, you can seek to have it corrected by contacting the police department at its non-emergency number and asking to speak with the officer named on the report. After explaining the error and providing evidence, you should contact a car accident attorney to evaluate the accident and discuss the next steps you can take.
Contact a Georgia Car Accident Lawyer
The attorneys at Bayuk Pratt have more than 50 years of combined legal experience handling accident cases in Atlanta, Georgia. Our law firm has recovered more than $300 million in settlements and court awards for our clients. Our founding partners previously served as senior partners at two of the world’s largest and most elite defense law firms. We use that insider knowledge of how insurers approach injury claims to the advantage of our clients.
The Bayuk Pratt team is made up of battle-tested Atlanta personal injury, wrongful death, and civil litigation lawyers with extensive experience standing up to big insurance companies. Contact us today for a free consultation with one of our car accident lawyers about your case.
