Faulty Auto Accident Police Reports Require Attorney Intervention

With the constant flashing of brake lights and continuous droning of running engines combined with thousands of tightly packed steel vehicles on a highly congested 6 lane highway, it’s no wonder auto accidents in Maryland and Virginia is so high. According to the motor vehicle administration, traffic crashes are the number one cause of death for people between the ages of 4-34. Limiting driver error and providing educational spaces to spread awareness of the dangers of drunk driving have been put in place to combat high accident rates. However, these unfortunate circumstances still occur quite often. If you’ve been in an auto accident, calling the police should be the first thing you do. Do not admit fault, place blame, or make third party repair plans until an officer is on the scene. Professional police should document the circumstances of your accident to the best of their ability based on information provided by both parties. If you believe your police report is wrong, bias, or persuasive in any way you have the right to change or correct the information on it. With the help of an attorney well versed in auto accident claims, you can get that faulty police report taken care of quickly. Knowing your rights protects you from blatant injustice and you could end up owing thousands of dollars if incorrect information is reported on your auto accident.

What Are Police Reports And How Are They Used?

When officers create police reports, everyone involved will review it and has the opportunity to contribute to what it says. While a good way to make sure all parties involved have equal representation, this method of reporting can often result in blame, story manipulation, or inaccurate information in an attempt to protect individual interests. Insurance companies do, unfortunately, base their decisions on the content within police reports, so if your’s is inaccurate the other party’s insurer could place blame on you. Accidents that you are deemed responsible for will make your insurance go up, cost you much more in repairs, and affect the state of your driving record. If the report clearly shows who is at fault, you may have a strenuous battle trying to convince an insurance company otherwise. This is why getting in touch with an auto accident attorney is necessary when dealing with inaccurate information on a police report.

Can You Challenge A Police Report?

Simply put, the answer is yes. More often than not, police reports have been known to contain errors, inaccurate detail, and necessary omissions.You can request that the report be ‘amended’ or ‘supplemented.’ If actual, concrete facts are untrue, for example, the make and model of your car aren’t correct, getting in touch with the officer in charge of your case to quickly change this detail is simple. It is only when you make a claim to the authenticity of information still under investigation that you may face resistance. If there is conflicting evidence between both parties, you’re going to have to prove your side of the story. Additionally, if there were witnesses at the scene of the crime who gave evidence to the report that you feel is not right you have the right to ask the officer to amend his report. It is ultimately the decision of the officer in charge of your case to amend the report, and if he/she decides not to, this is when trusted legal assistance should be sought.

Need Representation For An Auto Accident Claim? Call JBA.

When choosing an attorney to guide you through the process of an auto accident claim, it’s important to hire an individual experienced with the relevant laws. Consulting an individual who has insight on the auto accident claims process will prove to be extremely valuable in the long run, especially when questions arise or uncertainty on how to proceed.
Before trying to represent yourself in an auto accident claim, contact our office to make sure you understand the law and process. Protect yourself, know your rights: call us and Get JBA First!
Jenkins Block & Associates has 40+ years of experience in successful auto accident cases in Maryland & Virginia, in addition to being a member of The National Organization of Social Security Claimant’s Representatives.  Call us at 1-800-243-2439 or contact us online to learn more about auto accident representation and guidance!