My Accident Police Report is Wrong. What Can I Do?

The police report is one of the most crucial documents in a car accident lawsuit, and insurance companies use it to determine liability. But what happens when you receive the police report to find that it doesn’t accurately reflect what happened, or the facts are wrong? Fortunately, if you disagree with the police report, there are a few steps you can take to ensure the insurance adjuster gets the facts straight and you don’t end up paying for an accident that isn’t your fault.

Time is of the essence, so you must take action to resolve the issues as soon as possible. As soon as you notice an error on the police report, you should thoroughly review the report for any other errors and work to resolve the errors quickly. Insurance adjusters will need the correct information to assess who is at fault.

Request An Amendment to the Police Report

You’ll need the police report information to be as accurate as possible because it is one of your insurance adjuster’s main pieces of evidence. Unfortunately, responding officers may mishear something you or the other driver said, incorrectly report the time of day or your vehicle’s make and model. If this happens, it’s essential to contact the police department as soon as possible and ask how to amend the report. Typically, the same officer who wrote the report will be the one who handles the amendment. As politely as possible, explain the discrepancies so the responding officer can make the necessary adjustments.

Factual Errors versus Non-Factual Errors

Factual errors are usually easy to establish and have amended. These types of mistakes include incorrectly documenting the car’s make and model, time of day, or street name where the accident occurred. 

On the other hand, you may not be able to correct other errors as easily. These mistakes are non-factual errors and can be more difficult to modify. An example of a non-factual error would be a statement from a witness. While you may disagree with these statements, you will likely only be able to provide your account and request that it be added as evidence with the police report. 

Contact An Experienced Car Accident Attorney

At Saladino & Schaaf, our personal injury attorneys have over 75 years of combined experience representing folks involved in car accidents. Contact one of our attorneys today to discuss your case at 270-444-0406 (Paducah) / 270-753-1529 (Murray) or contact us online for a free case evaluation.