Information in a police report will hold monumental significance upon the
result of your
car accident claim. It will determine whether or not you are held financially liable
because the report is, for the most part, viewed as being objective truth.
After a car accident, there are typically two types of accident reports
that provide details about the scene of the accident. If the police respond
to the accident, they create an official report but the parties can create
their own individual reports as well.
Because humans are fallible, an officer who prepares a police report may
make an error. these can be minor negligible mistakes or serious blunders.
So what can you do if an error was made on the police report associated
with your accident?
In some cases, it is possible to have changes made to a report to correct
it so that accurate information is displayed. This is referred to as “amending”
the report and requesting that a second report be prepared. There are
two different types of information in a report and they will need to be
amended in different ways.
Factual Errors
An error of fact can occur in a police report if the officer who is preparing
the report inputs the wrong information such as:
- Social Security number
- Telephone number
- Make/Model/Color of the vehicle
Errors of fact can often be corrected by simply providing proof of the
actual correct information through documentation.
Disputed Facts
It is more difficult to amend a police report when there is something on
the police report that you and/or your attorney disagrees with the conclusion
on the report. You will need to work with your personal injury attorney
to build a case that the current police report is inaccurate and show
evidence of this.
Here are some steps to take to help avoid misinformation on a police report:
- Document Your Injuries
- Gather visual evidence
- Talk to witnesses and get their contact information
As your car accident attorney,
our firm can help you avoid a disastrous situation. When car accidents occur, you
are often unprepared and may feel flustered. If those moments resulted
in misinformation on a police report, do not accept defeat.
Reach out to our firm at once!
