Importance of a Police Report in a Car Accident Case
These reports can provide valuable information. For instance, if someone was injured in the crash and wasn’t able to get contact information from witnesses, this may be included in the report. But a police report can also be very helpful in determining accident liability.
It will contain various details and statements from others. It may indicate the extent of vehicle damage and who was injured. Many times a police officer can piece together what likely occurred and may even issue a citation. If so, this would also be noted in the police report. Oftentimes it includes a summary of what the police officer believes caused the accident and who was at fault.
Although it can carry a lot of weight in determining fault, this doesn’t mean that every police report is completely accurate. It’s possible that important facts were missed or some type of mistake was made in it. For instance, the officer wrote down the injured person’s account but it wasn’t worded correctly. Or there could be a dispute regarding facts, such as a witness providing a statement that is very different than what the injured person saw happen.
Let’s say the accident occurred at the intersection of Georgia State Bicycle Route 45 and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SW. A witness tells the police officer that the other driver entered the intersection when the light was still green. But you saw the light was red. Although the report usually can’t be changed, it’s important the injured person write up his/her own account of what happened and have that included.
Police reports are important to an accident case. At the same time, they aren’t necessarily the deciding factor. It would be especially critical to seek legal counsel if someone was seriously injured in a crash and there is a dispute concerning what’s contained in the car accident police report.
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