It’s important to understand that an unfavorable report doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re no longer able to obtain compensation.
Police officers make mistakes just like anyone else. Whether it was an error in their investigation or an error in their report, a car crash attorney with Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath will do everything they can to rectify those mistakes so that justice can prevail.
Continue reading to learn more about why errors on police reports happen and what you might be able to do about them.
Why the report may have mistakenly blamed you for the accident
Again, officers are human and are therefore prone to making a variety of mistakes.
Officer errors can include transcription mistakes. While you were providing your statement, you might have said the at-fault driver was going 50 miles an hour when the speed limit was 30, but the officer may have mistakenly written down that the driver was going 35 instead of 50, which is a drastic difference.
There are also “errors of omission” which can also make a big difference in the end result of the report. For example, you might have told the officer that your back and neck were injured, but the officer failed to mention your injuries in their report.
Sometimes, officers are dispatched to an accident scene without having received proper training in performing an investigation and without a supervisor or experienced officer to assist them. They’re under a great deal of pressure due to the often-chaotic nature of an accident scene and could miss vital details that can have a significant impact on your case.
For example, they might have failed to make a note of fresh skid marks or didn’t properly document the damage to the vehicles. If an officer doesn’t have training in accident reconstruction (many don’t) then they might be unable to make an accurate determination of what happened.
How to fix an incorrect police report
As important as the police report is, there’s no reason to panic if it wasn’t written in your favor. Your first step should be to contact an attorney immediately. Your legal representative can conduct an investigation into the accident on your behalf, possibly uncovering crucial evidence that the officer missed.
If your attorney can uncover new information, and that information has the potential to change the report, then they will respectfully get in touch with the officer who wrote it. They can accompany you to a face-to-face meeting with that officer and share what they found. If a major mistake was made, and the officer has proof to that effect, then the officer should fill out a supplemental report correcting whatever errors were made.
Your attorney can also help you make a supplemental statement that includes correct information, and possibly new information such as injuries that were diagnosed by a doctor during medical treatment following the accident. Your attorney will ensure that your supplemental statement is added to the police report so that the record is complete and accurate.
Speak with our Florida car accident lawyers immediately
If you’re concerned about the outcome of your personal injury lawsuit because the police report is incorrect or if it indicates that you were at fault, contact a Florida car accident lawyer with Lytal, Reiter, Smith, Ivey & Fronrath as soon as you can. While contesting an inaccurate police report is by no means easy, we have the skill it takes to do it. We’ll also be ready to fight that report in a court of law if needed.
Learn more about how we can help you and for a free case review, call (561) 655-1990 today.
