You get your copy of the Douglasville police report, and suddenly you realize something is terribly wrong. The police report could have incorrect information, or they may have lost track of the quotes and misquoted your statement. But, the bad news, an incorrect police report is not easy to amend. Even though it is relatively simple to identify that the police report was written by a human, which are inclined to make mistakes, people don’t make the connection. Police departments immediately call into question why anyone would ever want to amend a police report.
This situation is not uncommon, and if it happens you should call an automobile accident attorney in Douglasville for help.
Are the Police Report has Incorrect Information?
Factual mistakes can include things like transposed license plate numbers or even the wrong color of your car. It seems like little things, but a factual error on your police report can make it nearly impossible to file your insurance claim. Imagine trying to start a claim when the police report has the wrong license plate number.
Fortunately, you can amend a factual mistake with a little effort. Go to the Douglasville Police Department and inform them that your crash report is not accurate. The officer may give you a little strife over it, but ultimately you can get the changes made. Bring in proof of the mistake, such as your registration, which would have your correct license plate number and the crash report, which would have an inaccurate version.
What to Do About Omitted Factual Information
There’s also the element of omitted factual information, and usually, that’s just the process of adding things onto it. For example, if your ID was not on you at the time of the wreck or if you were taken to the hospital, then you might have to provide your identifying information. A police officer will complete the report to the best of their ability, but when someone is hurt or taken for emergency medical services, that can cut some information off.
When you’re looking to add information, it is again as simple as walking into the police department. These things you usually can’t do over the phone as you need to verify your identity and produce core information on the report to verify that you’re the person involved.
Do You or the Other Driver Disagree with Police Statements on the Report?
Disagreements with police statements and information on a police report are usually not up for debate. One of the most common discrepancies is that someone was following too closely or that the other slammed on their brakes. The issue that most people disagree with is that they were following too closely and that the person slamming on their brakes should be responsible.
Typically a police officer will provide a statement on what they believe happened, and with a large amount of the crashes they handle, they’re often right. Police have an in-depth knowledge of traffic law and how basic physics plays a role in a wreck. But what happens is that drivers who were behind the wheel have a much different interpretation of what took place.
If you were handling amends like this, then you might need a bit of extra support. The intense situations can come from not agreeing with the police. The best that you can hope for is that the proof of the wreck lines up with your version of events. You can have proof come from cell phone records, images, and even witness statements.
For example, if the police report reflects that you changed lanes within signaling and that the other driver was not at fault, you could argue differently. Support for a different argument could come from a witness statement that might reflect that you did use your signal and attempted to change your speed in order to accommodate the other driver.
It’s Complex to Amend an Incorrect Police Report
Changing a police report is difficult because you’re arguing against the opinion or actions of the responding officer. But these reports can contain mistakes. It’s not as if these things never happen.
Working with Your Douglasville, GA Car Accident Attorney
John B Jackson’s law offices help the victims of Douglasville accidents and to get started on your claim. You should call our team. Police reports can be troublesome when they’re not complete or accurate. In the effort to arrange for proper amends to your police report, you should get a local Douglasville auto accident law firm to help with your claim.
They should take charge of these amends with the officer and go through the information to ensure that everything on the report is factual. Reach out to John B Jackson’s law office.
