COVID-19 and Your Louisville Metro Police Department Car Accident Report

According to recent reports, the Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) is making changes in how they are responding to non-emergencies, all because of COVID-19. Should you or someone you love be involved in an accident, you are unlikely to get an accident report. Reports for many non-emergencies are going to be taken by phone.

Non-emergencies can include illegal parking, loitering, public intoxication, speeding, trespassing and loud music. Police are only responding to calls where there is a threat to human safety or human health. All police and fire buildings are closed to the public.

What to expect and what to do when you are involved in an accident

Under normal circumstances, if you or someone you love was involved in a collision, then you were entitled to a damage claim, a claim for the loss of use of your vehicle, a claim for medical expenses, and likely a claim for pain and suffering. Before COVID-19, the LMPD typically would come to the accident scene to assess the damage and obtain driver and witnesses statements and information. The police would file an accident report. The report was used to file a claim with the insurance company and it was useful for legal actions.

Amid the pandemic, Kentucky police do not show up to accidents not involving injuries. This means that drivers are responsible for gathering evidence.

As a result of these changes, anyone involved in a vehicle accident in Kentucky should remember the following steps. These simple steps will ensure that you can gather evidence that will help you in dealing with insurance claims and any legal actions you require.

First, after an accident, you should pull over and, if possible, move your vehicle off of the road. This will prevent other vehicles from ending up in another accident.
Second, you should make sure that you and the other driver(s) are OK.
Next, collect insurance information from the other driver(s). Also, ask for a name and address. Try to find out if the driver of the other vehicle(s) owns the car they were driving. If the answer is no, get details about the owner and any contact information you can gather.
You are also going to want to get the policy number and name of the other driver’s insurance company. If you can, get a picture of the other driver’s VIN, their insurance card, and the model and make of the vehicle.
Look around for witnesses to the accident and collect their contact information.
After doing that, take out your phone and take pictures of the accident scene, the vehicles involved and license plates. You will want to take photos of your car and the damage, the other cars involved and their damage, the surrounding area, any road marks like skid marks and street signs. Do not forget to take photos of your injuries.
Make a note of the location of the accident. This includes cross-streets and street names. Note all landmarks and which direction you were heading.

These steps are a guideline. The stress of a car accident may mean that you cannot get all the above information. Do your best to follow these steps

Know that, as there is no police report available, both insurance companies involved are going to want a recorded statement of what happened. However, our attorneys at Hessig & Pohl advise that you do not make any recorded statements until you have spoken to an attorney first.

Reach out and connect with Hessig & Pohl. We are experienced in handling car accidents and other personal injury cases. We will fight to obtain you and your family the compensation you deserve.

Hessig & Pohl are highly experienced personal injury attorneys who fight to get you fair and equitable compensation for your injuries and damages. They do not quit until they get justice. Call them today for your free consultation at (502) 777-1111 and experience the “no fee unless you win” guarantee.