There’s never a good time for a car accident to interrupt your life, but sometimes it happens anyway. In a matter of seconds, you could be injured and your car damaged.
You might find yourself missing work, scrambling to pay medical bills, and getting estimates for car repair damage.
The at-fault driver’s insurance company should cover your damages, but this process doesn’t always go smoothly. The other driver may claim you were at fault—at least partially—and their insurance adjuster could try to reduce or eliminate your settlement.
If you’re navigating these difficult circumstances, we recommend obtaining a copy of your car accident police report and discussing it with an attorney immediately.
How Can I Find My Greenville Police Department Car Accident Report?
It’s helpful to know where your accident occurred. If it was outside the city limits of Greenville but in Greenville County, the South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP) was most likely the agency that responded.
You can find more information about obtaining a SCHP car accident report here.
If your collision occurred in Greenville, the Greenville Police Department probably responded. Greenville PD accident records are maintained at the Greenville County Public Records Law Enforcement Center.
You can obtain a copy of your Greenville PD report in several ways:
In Person
The Greenville County Public Records Law Enforcement Center is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 AM to 5 PM (closed on holidays). You should bring your photo ID and any paperwork the responding officer gave you.
If the Records officer needs more information, they will likely ask for the date, approximate time, and location of your collision, as well as your name.
Online
You can email your request to [email protected]. Please include the same information as listed above.
Once your report is located, you can request that it be mailed to you or picked up in person. There is a fee of $3 for an accident report.
What Does a Police Car Accident Report Say About Fault?
The car accident report is meant as a tool to help investigators determine fault in an accident. When the responding officer arrives, they will take statements from both drivers, as well as passengers and other witnesses.
They will also examine the scene for other evidence, such as debris in the road, tire marks, etc.
Once the responding officer has completed examining the scene, they will usually give all involved parties a case number, which can later be used to find the full report more easily. Reports are typically available within a week of the collision, but occasionally, it may take longer.
When you receive your police report, carefully review it to ensure everything is correct. Much of the first page is devoted to factual information about people and vehicles involved in the collision—names, addresses, VINs, car makes and models, insurance policy numbers, etc.
As long as this information is accurate, you probably don’t need to spend too much time on it.
Later on the form, the officer will note the “contributing factors” of the collision. This is a fairly large section with a wide variety of potential factors.
It’s also a crucial part of the report for the insurance adjusters who will be reviewing your claim.
Some contributing factors are “acts of nature,” like weather events or wildlife issues. But many are due to driver error. Some of these include:
- Speeding or going too fast for road conditions
- Running a red light or stop sign
- Ignoring other traffic laws or road signs
- Distracted driving, including phone use, eating, drinking, adjusting dashboard controls, or anything that takes the driver’s concentration off the road
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs
- Following too closely or tailgating
- Mistakes when turning or pulling out in front of another vehicle
- Lane-changing errors, such as failing to check a blind spot
- Road rage or aggressive driving
Another section describes how the officer believes the collision happened based on their investigation. Insurance adjusters will carefully study both sections to determine fault in the accident.
Our clients often have questions or concerns about these contributing factors or the accident description. They may feel that a factor was incorrectly attributed to them or that the officer overlooked one or more of the other driver’s errors.
Others have concerns about what would happen if both drivers contributed to the collision.
The best way to find answers is to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer. If you feel there is a mistake regarding contributing factors, we can investigate the accident more thoroughly.
Responding officers usually have limited time and resources to learn what happened and select contributing factors, so if we find additional evidence, we may be able to challenge the report.
Additionally, we can help you figure out how much fault each party has. Under South Carolina law, you may still be able to recover some of your damages if you were less than 50 percent at fault.
However, the insurance company could overestimate how much responsibility you have, reducing or eliminating your settlement. Your attorney will fight for a fair accounting of fault so you can recover the damages you deserve.
Where Can I Get Assistance With My Car Accident Report?
Please contact the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm for a free consultation. We’ll review your South Carolina police report, address all your questions, and help you understand the options for pursuing damages.
If we take your case, you never need to worry about any upfront costs—we don’t charge any fees until we successfully resolve the matter.
Attorney Ali Awad is the founder of the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm. Within a few short years, he created one of the fastest-growing law firms in the country.
Mr. Awad and his team have recovered millions of dollars for injured people and their families with a 99.5 percent success rate. In his spare time, he posts informative yet entertaining videos about personal injury law for over a million followers on social media.
Work with Attorney Awad today. Call the CEO Lawyer Personal Injury Law Firm at (864) 664-3865.
