This Atlanta Advocate Legal Guide explains how audio recordings and electronic data from 911 can help win your Georgia car accident case. Find out more here:
Key Points:
- 911 calls can be key evidence because they often provide the most truthful accounts of accidents.
- Emergency calls from the parties involved in the accident, bystanders, and other motorists can be used as evidence in an Atlanta or Georgia car accident case.
- An experienced personal injury lawyer will make a Georgia Open Records Act or FOIA request to obtain the 911 calls and dispatch records for your case.
- Calls to 911 can also sometimes lead you or your car accident attorney to evidence of reckless or drunk driving, or illegal racing, which can add damages to your settlement.
After being involved in a car accident, most people will contact 911 to report the incident and request first-responder assistance. These calls can help strengthen a legal claim.
On a busy road or highway, other drivers, passersby, and eyewitnesses may also contact 911 to report what they saw and ensure help is on the way.
In some cases, other motorists may have reported that the at-fault driver was seen weaving, speeding or driving recklessly before the crash happened.
In fact, 911 operators in Atlanta often get as many as 20 calls after a serious accident on the interstate highway. These calls not only provide the information police and EMTs need to respond, but they can also serve as critical evidence for a car, truck, or motorcycle accident case.
911 Emergency Calls and Reports Are Critical to the Success of Your Georgia Car Accident Injury Case
If your accident was serious enough to cause injuries, it’s likely that you are investigating whether to file a personal injury claim or case. You may have hospital bills to cover, physical pain and suffering, and a car or truck to repair. With so much on the line, evidence is crucial to a car accident case.
One of the first things an experienced personal injury lawyer will do to build a car accident case is obtain any 911 audio recordings, dispatch records and police car and body cam recordings.
Fresh from the scene, these calls are often the best and most truthful accounts of what actually happened. Plus, they often contain the raw and unvarnished emotion of witnesses or victims, which can be used as evidence down the line.
Why 911 Calls Can Be Great Evidence in a Georgia Personal Injury Case
To win or recover in almost any Georgia personal injury case, evidence is key. If you’re involved in a serious accident, the call you make to 911 can not only save your life—but also save your case down the road.
Emotions can get heated after a car accident. Blame gets thrown, tears get shed. When it comes to reliable accounts, 911 recordings provide some of the most crucial evidence available.
Many recordings contain statements made by the drivers involved, including admission to fault. These statements, especially if later denied, can be used to challenge a defendant.
If someone else was there to see that it clearly was one driver’s fault, their eyewitness account also carries a lot of weight in a court case.
What Makes a Credible Witness for a Car Accident Claim?
Generally, the most credible car accident witness is someone who does not know the drivers involved. A credible witness does not stand to gain any benefit from the injured party’s claim.
Further, a witness who saw the car accident in its entirety is usually your best witness.
Witnesses often call 911 when they see an accident and may also stay around to speak with the police and the injured party after a car accident.
How to Connect With Witnesses from 911 Calls
Testimony from witnesses that saw the accident can be incredibly useful when investigating a car accident case. But if a witness who called 911 did not remain at the accident scene to give their name or contact information, how will your attorney ever find them to help your claim?
Georgia city and county 911 dispatchers will often ask for callers’ names and contact information or the electronic 911 system detects the number called from. Call records, audio recordings, and dispatch records can be requested from the Atlanta Police Department and almost all other Georgia law enforcement departments.
911 data is usually provided pursuant to a written request that meets the statutory requirements of the Open Records Act. Thus, 911 call data is only provided by police departments once the statutory requirements have been met.
The Georgia Open Records Act requires Agencies to make the data available to you or your car accident attorney within three days, with some exceptions, such as when there is an open or ongoing investigation. In reality, it often takes at least 10 business days to get 911 call data after the written Open Records request has been submitted and received.
The caller’s information and dispatch information are usually included in the 911 call recording or data.
1201 West Peachtree Street #2339 Atlanta, GA 30309+1-770-212-3795$0-$100000They got my case settled and didn’t back down to the company that was involved.
Get Expert Legal Help for Your Car Accident Claim
The Millar Law Firm only handles personal injury and car accident cases. The expert car accident attorneys in our Atlanta and South Atlanta law offices can help gather the evidence, like 911 calls and witness testimony, to help build your case.
When you contact our office, you can schedule an initial consultation completely free of charge. Our experienced personal injury attorneys will then listen to and review the details of your case and explain your best course of action for proceeding with your car accident claim.
Contact us now at 770-400-0000 or using our online contact form.
