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What Should I Do If The Police Report For My Car Accident Was Wrong?

March 29, 2024
A personal injury attorney must effectively tell your story to the insurance company and, when necessary, a judge or jury. An accurate police report is part of that story, and it can carry a lot of weight when an insurance carrier puts a value on your case. The initial phone call is the start of building evidence against the at fault driver.

When in doubt, it is always best to call the police to make a report.

Once a police officer arrives, their job is to be a neutral third party and to document as much evidence as possible, including date, time, weather conditions, vehicle damages, injuries, identifying information for the individuals involved, witness statements, and video evidence (when available).

Based on the evidence collected, officers will typically assign contributing factors to determine who is at fault or majority at fault.

Unfortunately, officers can make mistakes on these reports.

We have seen them all and they do occur more often than you may think. If the law enforcement officer got some objective information wrong, details about your vehicle, your insurance coverage, or the location of the accident, for example, you can probably get the report changed or amended as long as you provide documentation in support of the correction.

Critical errors, such as an officer attributing fault to you because of a misunderstanding, the officer siding with the other driver, assigning contributing factors to the wrong party or not obtaining a statement from an involved party, may require more effort on your part to have corrected, though, not impossible.

It is not always easy to get a police officer to change a report.

If you simply don't agree with something that is in the report, such as an account of the accident given by a witness, or the officer's finding that you violated a traffic law, you'll have a much tougher time getting any change made.

In that situation, the best you can probably do is write up your own version of the detail you are disputing and hope that it be included as a supplement to the report. In most cases, whether it is added to the report or not will be up to the law enforcement agency.

Contact the police officer or police department responsible for making the report.

Once you have gathered your facts and details, it is time to contact the police officer or department to request the report be updated or changed. Remember:

  • Stay calm and be polite, patient, and professional.
  • Be sympathetic and tell them you understand their job isn't easy.
  • Don't take the issue to a supervisor unless absolutely necessary.
  • Understand the officer may be in a contested situation in which both drivers want the report changed.
  • Calmly provide your facts and information in an organized manner.

If you find you are not getting anywhere with the police officer or department, it may be time to consult with an attorney regarding your personal injury case.

Injured by a drunk driver? Call Stanley & Associates, Texas Injury Attorneys

If you or a loved one have been injured in a car wreck due to a drunk driver, contact Stanley & Associates for your free case consultation. We have represented thousands of clients across Texas and have over a decade of experience.

Our Texas car accident attorneys are available 24/7 to assist you. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means no fee unless we win. Call 844-227-9739

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Jacob s. hughey

Attorney and Partner

Jacob is a compassionate, no-nonsense personal injury attorney. Rest assured, he will fight for the best outcome possible for your injuries.

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Dustin C. Brown

Attorney and Partner

Dustin practices law for the individual because people need a strong voice in their corner.

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