After a car accident, a police officer typically responds to the scene and writes up a report detailing the occurrence. It does sometimes happen, however, that these police reports are inaccurate due to misunderstandings, officer error, or the provision of inaccurate information.
A police accident report contains important details regarding the collision, such as:
- The names of everyone involved
- Statements from those involved as well as any bystanders
- A record of the vehicle damage along with any property damage
- Any injuries to drivers, passengers, or third parties
- A diagram or sketch of the accident scene
- The responding officer’s conclusions about who caused the accident and how it happened
Your police accident report is an important element of your insurance claim. If you notice any inaccuracies in your report, it is imperative to enlist the aid of a skilled car accident attorney and ensure they are amended as quickly as possible.
If you find errors or have any questions about your police report after being involved in a car accident, contact the experienced nationwide car accident lawyers at Local Accident Reports and schedule a free consultation today.
What Types of Mistakes Could Be on My Police Accident Report?
Mistakes in police reports are not an uncommon event. In fact, it happens more often than most people realize. Although some omissions and errors may initially appear to be minor, even negligible, the insurance carrier could potentially use them to deny your claim.
The majority of police accident report errors fall under one of two categories: factual or subjective.
Factual Errors
A factual error is any detail or bit of information that is categorically wrong, such as a vehicle model, street name, or date the crash took place. Factual errors are the most common mistakes made in accident reports. Other common factual errors include:
- Incorrect names, license plate numbers, or birthdays
- Inaccurate make and/or model of an involved vehicle
- Inaccurate testimony
- Wrong accident location
- Missing details
Generally speaking, these errors are not hard to fix provided you have appropriate documentation reflecting the correct information.
Disputed Information or Subjective Errors
These errors are subjective and rather challenging to remedy because they involve the conclusions or opinions of the responding officer or eyewitnesses. For instance, the officer may have decided to believe a witness who claimed you ran a red light while disregarding another witness’s statement saying that your light was still green.
In this scenario, it is all but impossible to disprove the conflicting account unless you can prove that the light was not red when you went through it.
How Can I Prevent Mistakes in My Police Accident Report?
Immediately following a car accident, there is often a lot going on and you may not even be thinking about the officer or your crash report. When it is your turn to be interviewed about what happened, provide them with as much detail as you possibly can. If you feel that the officer has not asked you certain questions that they should have, politely include that information in your statement. This will increase the odds of your report being free of factual and subjective errors.
What Should I Do if I Notice Mistakes in My Crash Report?
If your police accident report has any of the previously mentioned mistakes, there are usually a few ways to fix them.
For factual inaccuracies contained within the report, such as your name being misspelled name or the license plate numbers being mixed up, it is crucial to take action right away. Start by reaching out to your local precinct as soon as you notice these mistakes. Straightforward communication is essential to rectifying discrepancies and ensuring the integrity of the accident report.
If you want to dispute the report in its entirety, you will have to communicate with the responding officer directly. Make your case clearly and calmly, highlighting any omissions or factual errors. Request that any errors be corrected and your perspective be included in an addendum. While it is usually difficult to get the original accident report altered, some police departments allow car accident victims to request supplemental reports which will then be included with the original. If your car accident was investigated by more than one responding officer, they may each draft their own supplemental accident report.
Filing a supplemental accident report is not an option in every jurisdiction. With that in mind, there are some steps you can take to smooth the process of having your accident report amended.
Offer Documentation
The responding officer is more likely to correct your report if you present documentation confirming the mistakes. For instance, if the police accident report states your birthday incorrectly, giving the officer a copy of your driver’s license or birth certificate will go a long way toward getting the mistake rectified as quickly as possible.
Request the Changes Right Away
It is always a good idea to get a copy of your police accident report as soon as it becomes available so you can look it over for any mistakes. If you find any, immediately get in touch with the responding officer. Their report might not be finalized and they can make the necessary changes right away.
Give a Revised Statement
In the event that the responding officer refuses to amend any disputed information in the report, you can always write a new statement concerning the inaccuracy and request that it be attached to the original report. Your statement should include photos, documentation, and anything else that proves the mistake. If you are having trouble drafting a statement about the error, our experienced car accident attorneys can help.
Include Medical Documents
Many people who are injured in a crash are asked to give their statements at the hospital. Unfortunately, due to the nature of their injury, pain, or the effects of strong medication, a lot of car accident victims find this difficult to do. Be sure to give the officer any medical documentation you have that proves you were not in a clear frame of mind when you gave your initial statement. Depending on the circumstances, they might permit you to make a new one to be included in your police accident report.
Work With a Qualified Car Accident Lawyer
Even if fixing a mistake in your police report sounds easy, you should still consider working with a car accident lawyer. They can ensure that your report is accurate and include accompanying statements regarding any mistakes if necessary. While it still might not be possible to change the report, your lawyer’s statement will help dispute any false or mistaken information if your report is inaccurate.
At Local Accident Reports, we understand that the aftermath of a serious collision is confusing and overwhelming. The last thing you need to be worried about while you are trying to recover is how to fix inaccurate information on your police accident report that could ultimately jeopardize your injury claim. Our nationwide car accident lawyers have extensive experience representing personal injury clients across the United States. If you were injured in a car accident, contact us online or call (888) 657-1460 now for a free consultation.