Even police officers are expected to obey the law. Unjustified careless or reckless driving can cause accidents. As long as an accident with a police car didn’t happen as the result of an emergency you have the right to pursue compensation from the Las Vegas police department or any other police department if one of their officers was responsible for damage to your own vehicle and injuries to you and anyone in your vehicle.
Obtaining compensation from the city police department might seem challenging, but it is not impossible. You must be able to provide convincing evidence that the crash was caused by an act of negligence on the part of one or more police officers. A lawyer can help you process a claim.
How to File a Claim for an Accident With a Police Car
The process for filing a claim against any government entity is not quite the same as if it would be if the claim was against a private individual. You need to file an initial ‘notice of claim’ with the police department. This is to notify the department that you intend suing them. You will need to submit the claim within the city’s statute of limitations, which is a relatively generous two years from the date of the accident. The claim must be accompanied by evidence showing why you are demanding compensation from the police department. You will need to give details of when and how the accident happened, why you think the officer’s driving was negligent, your demand for payment and the evidence you have available.
If you are lucky, the department may make payment of the amount demanded. More likely they will reject the claim. This does allow you to pursue a personal injury claim against the department through the civil court. The same documentation as before should be submitted.
How to Prove that a City Police Car Was at Fault
You won’t have any chance of obtaining compensation unless you have convincing evidence that the police officer’s driving caused the accident and any damage to your vehicle and injuries that you personally may have sustained. It is normally the police that you rely on to provide an accident report if it was someone else who hit you. As the Las Vegas police department or any other police department is unlikely to admit fault too readily, you may be forced to rely on other forms of evidence, such as:
- eye witness statements from anyone in the vicinity who might have seen what caused the accident;
- dash cam footage from the police car may be requested with the help of a lawyer;
- video footage recorded by any nearby surveillance camera;
- any photos you can take at the scene of the accident;
- a report of the damage to your vehicle from the vehicle repair yard.
Get Help When Filing a Claim Against a City
It won’t be easy winning a claim against the city police department. You will need all the legal help you can get. You are strongly advised not to proceed with a claim without the help of an experienced personal injury lawyer.
You are welcome to complete the free case evaluation form below to ensure your claim is on the right track.
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Disclaimer: The content of this article serves only to provide information and should not be construed as legal advice. If you file a claim against the City of Las Vegas, the state Government of Nevada, or any other party, you may not be entitled to any compensation.
