The officers that arrive at the scene of a car crash, might get 2 or more different stories, one from each of the involved drivers. Yet the police report needs to indicate which driver appears to have been responsible for the fact that the now-damaged vehicles collided. That fact underscores one of the reasons that a motorist should seek the police report, following his or her involvement in any on-road accident.
A typical police report contains a wealth of details.
More than one detail refers to the events that took place during the moments leading up to the collision. Other details relate to the events that took place at the time of the accident. Officers must also learn about what took place after the vehicles collided, but before any officer came on the scene.
The report’s contents make the collection of details a vital piece of evidence, if any of those involved decide to file a personal injury claim. An insurance company studies that collected information, in order to assess the veracity of a claimant’s statement. Sometimes, the report’s contents provide the insurance company with a reason for denying the claimant’s request for coverage of damages.
There is no guarantee, regarding the accuracy of what was reported.
For that reason, the facts recorded by the police officers do not get viewed as remarks that have been engraved in stone. The involved drivers have a chance to review what information has been recorded. If a driver discovers an inaccuracy, it may become necessary to seek the help of an accident scene reconstructionist.
What information should a driver examine, when viewing a police report?
• Is the date correct? Are the time and location, right?
• Are the driver’s name right? What about their contact information, and the details on their insurance?
• Are there any mistakes in the recorded information on each vehicle’s make, model and license plate number?
• How does the description of what happened compare to the recollection of the person viewing the report?
• Is there any witness’ statement missing? Are the contact numbers for the mentioned witnesses correct? Do the report’s statements indicate the witness’ location at the time of the accident? That fact can be important, especially if one of the witnesses was a passenger.
• Not every driver might recall this last detail: Is the name and badge number for the officer that spoke with the involved drivers the one that has been entered into the record?
Additional evidence
Insurance companies realize that training from the police department does not include the act of taking a person’s medical history. For that reason, an insurer will go after the medical report for anyone or their personal injury lawyer in Leamington that has filed a personal injury claim.