While not necessarily admissible in court or responsible for assigning fault in car and truck accidents, police reports are still important official documents. As such, they should be complete and accurate to the best of the police and those involved with the accident’s knowledge. It is one of the first places that insurance adjusters look when they are looking to quantify damage and parse through insurance claims. If you looked through the police report from your accident and it is not correct, there are some steps to rectify the situation.
What is in the Police Report?
The police report will contain many important statements, so these must be accurate. These facts include the date, time, and location of the crash; contact information for all drivers and witnesses involved; statements from drivers and witnesses; damage to vehicles; injuries that occurred in the accident; the officer’s narrative of the crash and whether there were any citations issues; pictures of the accident scene; and a diagram if needed.
Steps to Correct Your Report
When you need to correct items in your police report, remember that police officer are humans and sometimes make mistakes. Just be polite in your attitude and approach when you are asking for errors to be edited. Then, make sure to gather all evidence of the correct facts of your accident. This could be your vehicle registration, for instance if the details of your car are incorrect. Make sure you do this quickly, as each passing day that the report is incorrect could cost the insurance adjuster time. It will also be generally easier to get the police to correct. You should also provide full and accurate medical records from injuries treated from the accident. If you are correcting a statement, you should write out your accurate statement. However, it is at the officer’s discretion to change the written statement on the original report.
If you are ever unsure about correcting your police report. You should retain an experienced auto accident attorney to help you through the process.
CONTACT HERRMAN & HERRMAN IF YOU HAVE BEEN INJURED IN ANY OF THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF ACCIDENTS:
We can help you if you have been harmed by the following:
- Car accidents – Our lawyers have extensive experience handling car accident cases. We will work to identify the party or parties at fault for the crash and build a case to demonstrate persuasively how the parties caused the accident and your injuries. We will seek fair and full compensation through a negotiated settlement or at trial if necessary.
- Truck accidents – Thousands of large commercial trucks travel the roads of Texas every single day. Unfortunately, careless truck drivers and trucking companies disregarding safety put innocent people at risk of serious injuries. If you’ve been injured in a truck accident, let our experienced Texas personal injury lawyers stand up to the trucking companies and insurers on your behalf.
- Motorcycle accidents – Motorcycle riders often suffer grievous injuries in crashes caused by other motorists. Too many motorcycle accidents in Corpus Christi are caused by careless drivers who don’t look for motorcycle riders or violate their right of way. Our personal injury lawyers will work to cut through the bias and stigma against motorcycle riders. Our goal is to seek the financial compensation that you’ll need to recover from a serious motorcycle accident and injuries such as bone fractures, road rash, or traumatic brain injury.
- Product liability – Product manufacturers have a legal obligation to make products that are safe for their intended uses and to warn consumers of any risks that may come with the product. When products have design or manufacturing defects or undisclosed dangers, the product manufacturer may be legally responsible for injuries suffered by consumers. Our attorneys can help you evaluate whether you have a valid product liability claim.
- Brain injury – Brain injuries can leave accident victims with disabilities that leave them unable to work or perform many tasks of daily living. Seeking compensation for a brain injury in an accident often proves incredibly complex. The brain injury survivor may seek compensation for anticipated future medical care and the medical care already provided. Our personal injury lawyers can help you through the difficult recovery process following a brain injury and will fight to make sure you have the resources you need.
- Spinal injury – Spinal cord injuries could cost millions of dollars of care over the course of the victim’s lifetime, especially when those injuries result in partial or complete paralysis, such as paraplegia or quadriplegia. If you or your loved one has suffered a spinal cord injury, you deserve compassionate legal representation. Our attorney can help you determine whether you may be entitled to claim compensation for your injury and expenses related to living with the disability, such as making a home more accessible.
- Wrongful death – If you have lost a loved one due to the negligent or reckless actions of another party, your family deserves to seek accountability and compensation from those at fault for the wrongful death. Our caring and dedicated attorneys can help guide you and your family through this difficult and painful time and seek justice for your loved one.
