You may think you are saving time and even being nice by not involving the police after you’ve been involved in an accident, even if the accident seems small. But what happens days or weeks later down the road?
The involved parties are generally nicer at the scene. In addition, the excitement (adrenaline) from the accident often masks pain and injury.
Insurance companies use police reports to help settle disputes in almost every single claim that is brought their way. A detailed police report can be very useful for you especially if the other driver was at fault for the accident in the first place.
But, if a case goes to trial, accident reports and citations are inadmissible. Why?
This can actually work in your favor, and in protection of the truth. A police report can sometimes have errors and is most often based on the judgment of a single officer who didn’t see the accident.
They are human. They can get it wrong. Likewise, a citation stemming from the accident isn’t admissible evidence to prove any sort of negligence. Same reason.
Judges and juries hear evidence, and make the decisions. If the police report or citation was admissible, it would likely render the officer both judge and jury.
That is not how the constitutional process works.
