Paralegals play an important role in assembling documents and organizing facts during the investigative aspect of a case. A police report is undoubtedly a key document in this process. While a police report may be inadmissible in a case (depending upon situation or jurisdiction), it is certainly relied upon by a host of individuals, including attorneys and claims personnel in the assessment, investigation, evaluation, negotiation or litigation of property damages and personal injury claims. A police report contains not only facts relating to an occurrence, but also an abundance of other valuable case-related information.

A paralegal is often charged with the responsibility of gathering facts related to an accident and/or requesting a police report. These tasks include identifying a responding police agency. In the alternative, a client might provide an officer’s name or badge number or a corresponding incident number. Once this initial data is collected, contact the local or state police department in order to determine protocol for requesting a report. Note any relevant fees and required forms. When issuing a request for a police report, include the entire police and investigative files along with photographs or diagrams. These components are of particular importance in cases involving retention of accident reconstruction experts or in deposition preparation.

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