How to Read Your Kentucky Accident Report
It can be difficult knowing what to do after a car accident. At Slechter Law Firm, we believe obtaining and understanding your Kentucky accident report shouldn’t be. Your accident report is filed by law enforcement officials who either responded to your accident or conducted an investigation into your accident. These documents often are required to file an insurance claim after an accident and may contain valuable information documenting how and why your accident happened.
As a service to you, we are providing a sample copy of an accident report with comments to use as a guide. You can compare your accident report with the sample attached here. Carefully review the information below to understand your official Kentucky Uniform Police Traffic Collision Report.
If you have questions about your document or you need information about what to do after a car crash, contact us today. Call us for a free case evaluation.
A Closer Look at Your Kentucky Accident Report
The top of your accident report contains information detailing the date, time, and location of your accident. This includes street name, city/town, and intersection information. The speed limit, hit-and-run accident information, and the number of vehicles involved are recorded by officers
Below, investigating officers describe the manner of your collision (such as a head-on or rear-end crash), weather and light conditions, and proximity to traffic control signals. The type of roadway and road surface conditions is also documented by law enforcement officials. If injuries were reported at the accident scene, your accident report documents where injury victims were taken by ambulance and whether fatalities were reported in the crash.
Carefully read over the investigating officer’s description of your collision. In this section, valuable information regarding the cause of your accident may be documented by officers. If a driver was believed to be drunk, distracted, or admitted fault for the accident, officers will likely make a note in this particular section.
If non-vehicle property damage occurred as a result of the crash, law enforcement officials obtain owner contact information and details about the property damaged in the crash.
Law enforcement officials may also use a pictorial diagram as a supplement to a written narrative to describe the scene of your accident and why they believe it occurred. Details may include vehicle direction of travel, vehicle maneuvers, distance to intersections, and the presence of skid marks on the roadway.
Driver information collected by law enforcement officials includes:
Name, address, phone number
License number
License restrictions
Insurance company name
Insurance policy number
Vehicle information collected by law enforcement officials includes:
Make, model and year
Registration number
Area of contact
Extent of damage
Estimated travel speed
Commercial vehicle information collected by law enforcement officials includes:
Type of vehicle
Motor carrier address
Type of cargo carried
Steps to avoid a crash (for fatal crashes only)
Let Us Help You with Your Kentucky Accident Report
Don’t be a victim. Seek justice. Contact our experienced personal injury lawyers at the Slechter Law Firm and schedule a free case evaluation. Call or complete our online form today.