How To Get an Accident Report from Juneau Police Department

The Brown Law Firm can help you through the injury claims process after you’ve been hurt in a car accident in Juneau. No matter what kind of accident you’re in, there’s going to be a lot of information coming in. And one of the most important is the police’s accident report. We can help you get it and walk you through what it means. Set up a free consultation today.

How Do I Get an Accident Report After a Car Accident in Juneau?

Most drivers in Juneau don’t think much about an accident report until a day or two after a collision, when the adrenaline wears off and the insurance company starts asking questions.

The reason these questions come is because somebody has reported the accident to them. And most of the time, they’re also going off of the accident report from the Juneau Police Department (JPD). And while every police agency has their own rules, accident reports generally follow the same outline. That means yours is going to include things like:

• What the responding officer saw
• Statements from drivers, passengers, and witnesses
• Roadway, weather, and traffic conditions
• A diagram or description of where the vehicles ended up
• Preliminary information about what may have caused the accident
• Any tickets or other action taken at the scene

That tells you what’s in it, and it points you in the direction of where you can get it. You can either request it online or go directly to the JPD’s Record Unit at:

• 6255 Alaway Avenue
  Juneau, AK 99801

Once you’re there, follow the instructions they give you. From there, though, you’ll have put the ball in motion to get your accident report. But once you have your copy, the focus is going to shift to what it means for your claim.

Does an Accident Report Give You Fault?

While it’s fair to think that the police’s accident report tells you who would be at-fault for your accident, it doesn’t necessarily work that way. The best way to think about it is that the police report is only one piece of the puzzle. That doesn’t make the report unimportant, especially when it comes to insurance. Companies look at the report first because it has the basic details of the accident, as well as things they’ll use in their own investigation, like:

• Whether weather or road conditions played a role
• Where the vehicles were located after the collision
• Whether a traffic violation was reported
• Contact and insurance information for the people involved
• Statements from witnesses
• Whether anyone received a citation
• What the responding officer observed at the scene

Ultimately, fault only gets established by showing negligence, not just what a police report says. Negligence, in the context of a car accident, just means that:

• Someone did something—or failed to do something—that led to the accident and your injuries.

So yes, a police report can give you the basics of who was involved and what the scene looked like after. But it’s not the final word on who’s at-fault. That comes by looking at the full picture.

Other Information That Helps a Car Accident Claim

Again, the reason a police report is important to a car accident claim is because it contains the official account of the accident and the basic details of what happened, and who was involved.

But any car accident claim isn’t just about what the police saw when they got there. It’s also about the totality of it. That takes even more information, some of which you can get right there at the scene after you’ve called 911:

• Pictures and videos that show:
  • Damage to all vehicles
  • Where each vehicle came to rest
  • Skid marks, debris, or fluid on the roadway
  • Traffic lights, stop signs, or other signs nearby
  • Lane markings
  • Road and weather conditions
  • Any visible injuries

• Names and contact information of any bystanders or other witnesses
• Insurance and contact information of the other driver

That’s about as much as you can get at the scene. And you shouldn’t try to push through any injuries to get them, either. Your main focus should be on getting medical care from EMTs and then going to the hospital to get checked out further.

Then in the days/weeks following the accident, there’s other things that will start coming in along with the police report:

• Your medical records connecting your injuries to the accident itself
• Pay records that show any missed work or lost income while you’ve been recovering
• Progress pictures of your injuries as they’ve been healing
• Repair estimates from any damage to your car or other property
• Camera footage from traffic cams, dashcams, or nearby businesses that might’ve caught the actual collision

You don’t have to gather everything perfectly at the scene. Most people are focused on making sure everyone is safe, getting medical attention, and figuring out what to do next. Evidence can often be tracked down afterward, and that’s where having a lawyer involved can help.

Get Help After a Juneau Car Accident With The Brown Law Firm

Once the initial shock of a car accident wears off, most people realize they’re in for a long recovery. On top of that, there’s ongoing pain, missed work, doctor’s appointments, and an insurance company that’s asking a lot of questions.

That’s a lot for anyone to take on, but that’s also the point where our Juneau car accident lawyers at The Brown Law Firm can step in and help you. We can:

• Get a copy of your accident report and explain what it means
• Find other useful evidence from the accident scene
• Talk to witnesses and looking at any other outside evidence
• Handle the back-and-forth with the insurance company
• Figure out who might be responsible for your injuries
• Guide you through an insurance claim or a lawsuit

You don’t have to face the aftermath of a car accident in Juneau all by yourself. Set up a free consultation with our team today, and let us help you through it.