When a crash happens, the first official record is often the 911 call. That audio, coupled with the Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) log, can carry more weight than a later statement given after memories fade. In South Carolina, I have seen jurors lean forward when they hear a shaken caller say “the blue pickup ran the red light” before any lawyer or adjuster had a chance to spin the facts. Properly obtained and used, 911 evidence can help a car accident lawyer establish fault, corroborate timelines, and push an insurer toward a fair settlement.
This guide explains where these records live, how to request them, what they do and do not prove, and how to fold them into a case narrative. I will focus on South Carolina procedure and practice, but the principles hold in most jurisdictions. The examples apply across collisions involving cars, trucks, and motorcycles, and much of it also helps a personal injury lawyer or workers compensation attorney when a work vehicle or on‑the‑job incident triggers the call.
What is in a 911 call and CAD log, and why they matter
A 911 call is the audio of the person who dials for help. It often includes raw descriptions of what happened, immediate sensory details, witness identities, and real‑time symptoms. The CAD log is the dispatcher’s record: time stamps for the call, unit assignments, radio traffic summaries, caller location data (which may be Phase II cellular coordinates), priority codes, and notable comments typed by the telecommunicator.
Why does this matter? Fault often turns on moments: who entered an intersection first, whether headlights were on, what the weather looked like in that minute, how quickly officers arrived, and whether anyone admitted blame on the scene. CAD time stamps can anchor those moments. The audio can capture a spontaneous utterance that qualifies as an exception to hearsay. When a motorcycle accident lawyer brings in a bystander’s excited, unpolished statement from the call, it sounds more credible than a carefully crafted affidavit produced months later.
South Carolina public records basics for 911 and dispatch
In South Carolina, 911 recordings and CAD logs are typically held by county or municipal public safety communications centers or the law enforcement agency that responded, such as the South Carolina Highway Patrol, a county sheriff’s office, or a city police department. The state’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), S.C. Code Ann. § 30‑4‑10 et seq., governs access to public records but contains exceptions for active investigations, personal identifying information, and sensitive law enforcement techniques. County 911 boards and agencies also follow federal privacy rules related to protected health information when medical details are discussed.
As a practical matter, many agencies will release CAD incident reports with redactions early, and will release full 911 audio once the investigation is closed or once a protective order addresses redactions. Some agencies provide a call summary immediately but hold the audio for a defined period. Crash reports in South Carolina, including the FR‑10 and TR‑310, are separate from 911 data and have their own timelines.
If you are a car wreck lawyer building a liability case, you should expect some back‑and‑forth on scope and redactions, especially when minors, domestic incidents, or medical details appear in the call. Persistence and specificity go a long way.
How to request 911 and CAD records in a way that gets results
Start by identifying the correct custodian. If the wreck occurred on an interstate and the Highway Patrol worked the scene, the SCHP and the county communications center may both have records. Municipal crashes are usually captured by the city’s police department and its dispatch.
Your initial request should include the date, approximate time window, crash location, known parties or vehicle descriptions, and the incident or case number if you have it. Ask for four categories: 911 audio files for calls associated with the incident, the CAD event history, radio traffic recordings for the incident channel during a defined time window, and any caller location data or supplemental narrative fields that are not visible in the basic CAD printout. In multi‑vehicle collisions that spawn multiple calls, ask for all calls tagged to that location and time, not just the first one.
Many counties host online FOIA portals with drop‑down options for “911 Audio” or “CAD Incident Report.” Others require a written request by email. I recommend using a tracked letter or email to the designated FOIA officer and copying the agency’s general records address. If the crash is severe, make the request within days to avoid routine deletion schedules. Some centers retain audio for 30 to 180 days unless preserved; others keep it longer, but you should not assume a generous retention policy.
Agencies often provide audio in standard formats such as WAV or MP3. Ask for native format with metadata preserved when possible. This helps experts authenticate the file and confirm time stamps. For CAD, request the full event history, not just a summary page. The event history usually shows call answer times, dispatch times, en route and on‑scene times for each unit, and dispatcher comments.
Evidentiary value, from best to limited
Not all 911 evidence is created equal. Evaluating usefulness early saves time and money.
The strongest material tends to be first‑party calls from involved drivers or immediate witnesses describing the collision in the heat of the moment. A caller who blurts out that a tractor‑trailer drifted over the center line because the driver “was looking down at his phone” can become a centerpiece for a truck accident lawyer. That statement, recorded within seconds, may qualify as an excited utterance or present sense impression, both common hearsay exceptions. It also unlocks targeted discovery, like requesting the truck driver’s electronic logging device data and cell phone records around that time.
Second‑tier evidence includes dispatcher notes that reflect admissions made on scene, such as “Unit A driver states he looked away and rear‑ended.” While these are summaries, they direct you to the responding officer and the specific person who made the statement.
Lower value, but still useful, are general statements about injuries or vehicle positions. “Two cars blocking both lanes eastbound” helps reconstruct traffic patterns. “No skid marks” or “vehicle smoking” can affect a reconstructionist’s analysis of speed and impact forces.
At the bottom are ambiguous comments or speculation. Callers sometimes identify the wrong color or misjudge distances. You should corroborate anything that could be subjective. CAD codes like “Failure to yield” as an initial category are typically just the dispatcher’s classification and not a legal conclusion.
Common pitfalls that can sink a good lead
Dispatch audio is raw and human. People interrupt each other, panic, and change their minds mid‑sentence. Background noise can muffle key points. The time on the caller’s cell phone does not always match the CAD clock. In a crowded scene, different callers may misidentify which driver ran the light. If you do not anchor those statements to physical evidence, an insurer or defense attorney will pick apart inconsistencies.
Another recurring issue is redaction. Agencies often mute names, phone numbers, addresses, date of birth, and medical details. Occasionally they over‑redact, cutting out context that matters. If that happens, politely point to the statutory standard and ask for narrower redactions or an in camera review in litigation. With a protective order, many agencies will restore context while still protecting sensitive details.
Finally, do not assume that a call speaks for itself. Jurors need help understanding who is talking, where they were, and what they could actually see. A car crash lawyer who pairs the audio with a simple map and a photo of the intersection from the caller’s vantage point makes the moment understandable and credible.
Building a timeline that holds up
The power of 911 data lies in time. A persuasive auto accident attorney will build a minute‑by‑minute sequence that weaves the audio with CAD times, dash camera footage, body‑worn camera activation, traffic camera timestamps, and vehicle telematics. When everything points the same direction, fault becomes hard to dispute.
Here is how that usually looks in practice. The CAD log shows the call answered at 7:42:11 p.m. The caller’s audio begins with “I’m at Rivers and Cosgrove, the silver SUV just ran the red and hit a motorcycle.” Thirty seconds later, you hear the dispatcher typing. The CAD shows the first unit dispatched at 7:42:50 and on scene at 7:46:05. A nearby business provides a camera clip that timestamps the light cycle and impact at 7:41:59. The motorcycle’s data module shows speed at 34 mph and steady throttle. The at‑fault driver’s phone records put an outgoing text at 7:41:55. No single piece wins the case, but together they point to a distracted driver who entered on red and caused the crash. A motorcycle accident attorney armed with this coherence can push for policy limits.
When multiple calls conflict
In urban counties, a serious collision can trigger five or more 911 calls. One caller might say “the truck swerved to avoid a dog,” while another says “the truck just drifted.” Resist the temptation to cherry‑pick the favorable quote. Triangulate.
Start with caller location. The CAD often captures the caller’s phone number and lattice of cell tower data, and the dispatcher will sometimes type “caller in gray Corolla at BP station.” If the caller was behind the truck with a clear line of sight, prioritize that statement over a caller who arrived after the crash and saw only the aftermath.
Then look at consistency with physics. If “swerving to avoid a dog” would have left a very different skid pattern than “drifting,” the reconstruction will tell you which story fits. Eyewitness reliability improves when the witness describes simple, global events. “Truck crossed the center line” is more reliable than “he was going 12 over.” Use the audio to identify and contact the best witnesses for a recorded interview while memories are fresh.
Using 911 evidence with insurers and in court
In negotiations, adjusters often anchor on the officer’s notation about fault or the boxes checked on the FR‑10. A seasoned car accident attorney uses 911 material to shift that anchor. Sending an adjuster a short, clean excerpt of Truck accident lawyer the call with a transcript can reset expectations, especially when the at‑fault driver’s admission appears. Keep the excerpt focused. Two minutes of relevant audio beats 15 minutes of confusion.
In litigation, you will handle admissibility. Spontaneous statements that describe the event as it unfolds can fall under present sense impression. Statements made under the stress of excitement caused by the collision fit excited utterance. A dispatcher’s notes are more nuanced. They can be business records if foundational testimony establishes the regular practice of recording events, but courts scrutinize the source of the information. Expect hearsay within hearsay issues: the dispatcher’s record of what an unknown caller said. Solve that by calling the witness listed in the CAD, or by relying on the exception only for the caller’s words, not the dispatcher’s interpretation.
Authenticate the audio through a custodian who can explain the system, recording process, retention, and hash or checksum if you have one. In South Carolina, trial judges exercise considerable discretion on these issues. Prepare a clean chain and offer transcripts as demonstratives while making clear that the recording itself is the evidence.
Special issues in truck and commercial vehicle cases
Truck crashes add layers. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations require carriers to preserve certain data, and many fleets use inward and outward cameras plus telematics that log hard braking, lane departures, and speed. A truck accident attorney will use a pointed preservation letter that references specific 911 call times. If the 911 recording places impact at 3:18 p.m., your spoliation letter should demand ELD data, dash cam clips, driver call and text logs, and dispatch messages from 3:08 to 3:28 p.m., not just “around the time of the crash.” Precision reduces wiggle room.
CAD logs also tell you who from law enforcement arrived first. In many interstate crashes in South Carolina, a trooper handles the report while a county deputy manages traffic. The first unit often captures key witness names, even if the formal report lists only drivers. If the CAD shows “Caller: James, landscaping truck,” find James fast. He may be the only person who saw the trailer fishtail before the tractor overcorrected.
When the 911 call hurts, not helps
Sometimes the call is bad for your client. Maybe the caller accuses your driver of speeding, or your client sounds intoxicated. Do not ignore it. Assess whether the statement is speculative or grounded in observation. “He must have been going 100” from a person on a sidewalk often falls apart under cross. If impairment is alleged, look for body‑cam footage, field sobriety results, or hospital bloodwork that contradicts the impression. Context matters: slurred speech on the call could be hypoxia, shock, or a tongue injury, not intoxication.
If the call is damaging and admissible, adjust strategy. Liability might shift to comparative fault. South Carolina uses modified comparative negligence. A plaintiff who is 51 percent or more at fault cannot recover, but at 50 percent or below, damages reduce proportionally. Use other evidence to chip away at the percentage, and negotiate accordingly.
Privacy, ethics, and respect for victims
These records involve people on their worst day. Lawyers and adjusters should handle the audio with restraint. Blur faces and mute sensitive audio before playing clips in public or on social media. Redact minors’ names. Follow protective orders. In discovery, cooperate on reasonable redactions while preserving substantive content. Jurors appreciate professionalism.
Medical content sometimes appears as callers describe injuries. HIPAA does not apply to bystanders, but medical privacy remains a concern. If you need to use that content, consider stipulations that avoid replaying graphic descriptions repeatedly. A personal injury attorney can convey severity by pairing a short excerpt with medical records and photographs instead of bathing the jury in distress.
Translating dispatch jargon
CAD logs bristle with abbreviations and codes. Learn the local dialect. In one county, “10‑50” might be a collision with injuries. In another, it is just a wreck, injuries unknown. “Signal 4” could mean property damage only. Ask the custodian for a code sheet. Misreading a code can mislead your expert.
You will also see priority levels. A Priority 1 response usually means lights and sirens with the fastest possible response. If your case requires connecting a long police response to a worsening injury, priority codes and unit status times matter. That intersects with damages and, in rare cases, potential claims against a municipality for negligent emergency response. Those claims face high statutory hurdles under the South Carolina Tort Claims Act, so analyze them carefully.
Practical tips from the trenches
I learned early to request the radio traffic in addition to the 911 call. Patrol officers often describe the scene to dispatch in colorful, candid terms. “We’ve got a semitrailer straddling both lanes, heavy front‑end damage to the Camry, and a witness at the Chevron who says the truck ran the merge.” That single comment led us to a witness who made the difference in a disputed liability case.
Another habit: create a clean transcript. Jurors absorb audio better when they can read along. Use a professional transcriber who understands accents and can denote overlaps. Mark time stamps every 15 to 30 seconds in the margin. During depositions, give witnesses both the audio and the transcript, then lock down what they saw and where they stood.
Finally, preserve chain of custody. Save the original audio in a read‑only folder. Keep a log of who accessed it. If you enhance audio for clarity, keep a copy of the unaltered original and document the enhancement steps. If you end up in front of a skeptical judge on admissibility, clean handling helps.
Where 911 evidence fits in the larger case strategy
No single piece of evidence carries every case. A car accident lawyer who relies only on a 911 call risks unpleasant surprises. Fit the call into a larger plan: scene photographs, ECM data, traffic engineering records, weather reports, vehicle inspections, and medical evidence. Use the dispatch timeline as the backbone, then hang other facts on that spine. If a client asks for a car accident lawyer near me and finds you because you handled a neighbor’s case well, it is usually because you did the boring fundamentals right, not because you had a single flashy recording.
For clients hit by commercial trucks, involve an expert early to pull telematics that match the dispatch timeline. For motorcycle riders, find the sight lines and headlight visibility at the exact time of day the CAD shows the crash happening. For pedestrians, confirm crosswalk timing with city traffic engineers. A best car accident attorney earns that label by caring about the details, not just the headlines.
A focused checklist you can use tomorrow
- Identify the correct custodian and request both 911 audio and full CAD event history within days. Ask for radio traffic recordings, not just the initial call, and request native formats with metadata. Build a minute‑by‑minute timeline that blends CAD times, audio, cameras, and telematics. Authenticate and transcribe, then decide which hearsay exceptions apply and which witnesses to call. Use the audio strategically with insurers, and prepare redactions and foundations for court.
When to bring in a lawyer
Getting this right can mean the difference between a modest offer and policy limits. If you are sorting through competing witness statements, redactions, and technical objections, this is the moment to involve an experienced accident attorney. The cost of doing it wrong is real: lost audio because a retention period ran, a sloppy transcript that undermines credibility, or a missed hearsay objection that keeps a key statement out.
Whether you need a truck crash lawyer after an interstate pileup or a car crash lawyer for a neighborhood intersection wreck, hire someone who talks specifically about 911 and dispatch practice, not just generalities. Ask how they authenticate audio, what their standard preservation language looks like, and whether they have succeeded in admitting excited utterances from 911 calls in your county’s courtrooms.
If you are searching for a car accident attorney near me or a motorcycle accident lawyer with trial experience, look for proof that they build cases on timelines, not slogans. For injured workers hurt while driving for a job, a workers compensation lawyer can pair the dispatch records with employer reporting requirements to protect both comp and third‑party claims. In more complex matters, a personal injury attorney who regularly handles trucking litigation will know how to coordinate 911 material with federal motor carrier discovery.
Final thoughts from the field
Fifteen seconds of audio can carry a case. A breathless witness, the crunch of impact in the background, a driver apologizing without prompting, or a dispatcher noting that the call came in right before the on‑scene video starts. But 911 evidence is not magic. It needs context, corroboration, and careful handling. Approach it with respect for the people who made the call, clarity about the law, and a methodical plan to turn minutes and seconds into proof.
Do that, and your client’s story stops being a debate over who said what later, and becomes a precise reconstruction anchored by the first, most honest record of what happened. That is how a diligent auto injury lawyer moves a case from doubt to resolution, whether across a negotiating table or in front of a jury.