The Atlanta Police Department's recent announcement that it will no longer send officers to auto accident scenes where there are no reported injuries over COVID-19 exposure risks has raised some concerns among both plaintiffs' and defense lawyers who handle motor vehicle torts.

One partner at a large defense firm termed it a "recipe" for fraud claims and foresaw a rise in personal injury claims for nonexistent injuries.

Meanwhile, plaintiffs lawyers told the Daily Report that the lack of a trained officer analyzing accidents and interviewing witnesses would make it more difficult to figure out what happened and allocate fault, even if the parties follow APD guidelines and fill out a two-page accident report available through the city's website.