If you’re involved in a car accident, a police report can provide you with the evidence you need to prove that your injuries were caused by another motorist’s negligence.
But as we all know, anyone can make a mistake – so you could find that the report generated by the investigating officer who responded to the scene of your car accident is inaccurate. To learn how to deal with errors and get your police report amended, take a look at the following.
Let’s say that the officer who wrote your car accident police report got the color, model or year of your vehicle wrong. Or that when they took down your driver’s license number, two of the numbers were transposed. Factual errors like these are often simple to fix.
To correct the information on your report, contact the local law enforcement agency involved. There may be directions on how to proceed on their website, but if not, reach out to the investigating officer. Politely explain the discrepancy between the facts and what has been reported, and ask them to amend the document.
If your police report is inaccurate in terms of how the facts surrounding the accident are presented or what it says regarding which motorist was at fault, getting the information corrected may be quite the challenge. But, that doesn’t mean you have no options.
First of all, don’t wait to let law enforcement know about the error. If you contact the investigating officer right away, they might agree to fix the mistake before the report is finalized. If not – or if it’s too late for that – you can try providing evidence that supports your argument. But don’t argue, as you'll get a better response if act in a polite, respectful manner.
Chances are, however, the officer who wrote your police report won’t agree to make the changes you’d like. If that’s the case, you can ask for permission to write a supplemental statement and have it attached to your report.
Often, the easiest and most effective strategy for getting a police report corrected is to work with an experienced car accident lawyer.
The legal team at William R. Rawlings & Associates, serving clients in California, Idaho and Utah, can speak with law enforcement on your behalf and directly request that the officer involved address the mistakes in your police report. Our personal injury attorneys know how to achieve results, and you can count on us to fight to protect your legal rights. To discuss your case and discover how we can help, contact our office and schedule a free car accident lawyer consultation today.