An officer who transposes digits in a social security number or telephone number, or confuses the make, model, or color of a car that was involved in the accident makes an error of fact. Amending Factual Errors in the Police ReportĪn error of fact is a mistake involving objective information. It's typically easier to change factual information than disputed information. Information in a police report usually falls into one of two categories: factual information and disputed information. In some cases, you can ask an officer to change ("amend") or add to ("supplement") a police report. So, what can you do? It may seem like the police report and everything in it is set in stone once you get your hands on it, but that's not necessarily true. These mistakes can range from minor errors to major blunders. Errors in Car Accident Police ReportsĪny law enforcement officer who prepares a police report is human, and it's not unheard of for errors to pop up in the report. Or you can potentially use the police officer's opinion about who was at fault for the car accident as leverage in your car accident settlement negotiations. For example, you can use the report to gather the names of witnesses and begin your own investigation. Police Reports are Useful Outside of CourtĪlthough police reports are not admissible in court, there are ways to use the information to win your car accident claim. You can call the officer who wrote the report to testify as a witness, but you can't admit the report itself. Police reports are generally not admissible in a car accident lawsuit filed in court because they are " hearsay evidence." Hearsay is the legal term for an out-of-court statement offered as evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted in the statement. Police Reports Generally Aren't Admissible in Court Read on to learn more, including ways to fight the finding of fault in a police report. At the same time, the contents of the police report can be detrimental to your case, since any unfavorable details or findings can be used as leverage in a car accident settlement negotiation. A police report is generally not admissible in court in a car accident case, so it's not conclusive proof of anything. After a car accident, any finding of fault that might be included in a police report is probably not as significant as you might think.
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