When an accident happens, a police report is filed. These reports help determine the course of events that led to the crash and can be integral to any investigations and lawsuits that follow.
Accidents in California, especially car accidents, have increased annually by approximately 3,000 crashes. A significant portion of these crashes are handled by the California Highway Patrol.
Therefore, knowing the importance of a CHP report is essential to navigating a crash on California roads.
The Role of CHP Reports in Personal Injury Cases
What is a CHP Report?
In California, the highway patrol is responsible for enforcing the rules of the road and reprimanding any lawbreakers. They assist road users and ensure that order is maintained. These are some of the duties the CHP performs:
- Investigating traffic accidents
- Administering first aid
- Patrolling highways
- Administering sobriety tests
- Recovering and safeguarding evidence
- Controlling crowds during disturbances
Among these duties, the highway patrol is also responsible for filing accident reports. A California Highway Patrol report (or CHP report) is used to record any incident that happens in the jurisdiction of the CHP. This includes car crashes.
CHP Report in Personal Injury Law
Personal injury law comes into play when someone suffers an injury due to the negligence of another person. People in the United States can claim compensation for such injuries. Motor vehicle accidents, like car crashes, are also considered under personal injury law.
The most important part of a personal injury claim is proving negligence. In other words, the plaintiff has to prove that the defendant failed in their duty. In the context of a car crash, it would mean proving that a party failed to follow the rules or was negligent in some way, causing the crash.
The CHP report is valuable in this context because it has the following details:
- Where the accident occurred
- Date and time it occurred
- Parties involved and their details, including names, contact numbers, insurance details, etc.
- List of property that was damaged during the crash
- What exactly happened during the crash, or the sequence of events
- State of the parties involved in the crash, like if a driver was intoxicated, etc.
These details, in the context of a personal injury claim for a car crash, prove the following:
- The victim and defendant were at the scene of the accident
- The defendant made a mistake
- The victim was injured due to these actions
- The details of when it happened
- The details of injuries sustained that can serve as proof for the requested compensation
The report has additional credibility as it is handled by a branch of law enforcement.
CHP reports can be obtained by anyone related to the car crash, including lawyers, insurance providers, victims of car crashes, or their relatives. The CHP charges a fee for issuing a copy of the report, which can vary between $10 and $40. This is based on the length of the report.
A CHP report can make or break a compensation claim. Your lawyer can obtain a copy of the report from the office where it was filed and use it as evidence in your claim. This report can impact the validity and total cost of your claim by detailing the incidents of the accident.
Conclusion
Every year, around 250,000 car crashes happen on Californian roads. This leads to immense personal and financial costs. In the event of a car crash, hiring a personal injury lawyer to file a claim can ensure that your interests are protected. A CHP report can prove to be a critical piece of evidence in this claim and should not be dismissed.
