Can You Change a Police Report After a Car Accident?

Can a police report be changed after a car accident? While a police report can be changed after an accident, altering it may be up to the discretion of the police officer at the scene.

Speak with a Rhode Island car accident lawyer to discuss inaccuracies in a police report and learn how we can help. 

Get a Police Report After a Rhode Island Car Accident

A car accident scene is often chaotic. You should receive an accident report number at the crash scene. Most reports are available within 72 hours for review.

A car accident lawyer in Rhode Island can play a pivotal role in helping you change a police report after an accident. The insurance company will rely heavily on the report to determine your compensation. Inaccuracies in a police report can influence your rightful recovery.

The type of error you want to change in a police report plays a crucial role in your ability to seek an amended report. Speaking to the officer immediately following the crash allows you to share your account of the accident. Get a police report for a car accident in Rhode Island as soon as possible to review for errors.

Changing Errors in a Police Report After a Car Accident

Some changes to a police report after an accident are more straightforward to correct. It is beneficial for you or a passenger to write down a personal account of the accident after it happens because several days will likely pass before you obtain a copy of the report. For simple errors in the report, take these steps:

• Collect the documentation that disproves the error
• Reach out to the officer from the accident scene
• Always remain polite while making requests
• Present your documentation and the error on the report

A police report is not likely to be part of the evidence in a car accident lawsuit because it is considered hearsay. A car accident lawyer in Rhode Island with our firm can assist you when your injuries prevent you from taking even the simplest actions. Changing a police report due to these errors is often more straightforward. 

Errors of Fact

Unbiased facts are the simplest to change on a police report. Some basic information about an accident is indisputable. Errors in factual evidence may include:

• Vehicle color, body, and style
• Birth date 
• Driver’s license number
• Weather conditions

Changes to factual information will likely be amended. Always bring documentation to correct the information. Find a report and contact the Rhode Island State Police or a local department where a wreck occurs.

Errors of Transcription

Officers will build their report from notes they quickly compile at the accident scene. Generating a report most likely occurs after working on other accidents and multiple interactions with other individuals hours or days later.

Transcription errors may result from hard-to-read notes, information that is copied incorrectly, or errors in recording your statement. 

If you have written an account of the wreck, compare your notes with the statement. Talk to passengers about the details of a conversation with the officer. Then, present your information to the investigating officer.

Ask for an amendment to change a police report after an accident based on the information you have or presented at the time of the accident. Failing to document critical information about the accident accurately may impact your insurance claim or case.

A car accident attorney in Rhode Island can help dispute errors in reported speed and other information at the time of the accident by filing actions to secure black box data or video camera footage before erasure occurs.

Errors of Omission

Changing a police report due to critical omissions may be vital to your financial recovery. Again, documenting every detail of an accident amidst the chaos is challenging. Speaking with the officer may support their recall of essential information, such as:

• Receiving medical treatment at the scene of a wreck or being transported for care
• Documenting other actions, a driver was performing at the time of the wreck
• Whether you reported any pain or bruising 

Omitted information can impair your ability to prove your injuries in an accident. Understanding the burden of proof in injury cases involves each driver demonstrating liability in a wreck, impacting a personal injury outcome.

Advocating for yourself and the facts of a car wreck begins with contacting a team experienced in establishing proof of damages in car accident cases.

When Changing a Police Report Becomes More Challenging

Changing arbitrary or disputed information in a police report is the most challenging. The basis of this information is the observations, statements, and opinions of others. An attending officer at the accident may have an opinion that you disagree with.

Asking for changes of opinion statements will not likely occur. However, requesting the addition of a supplemental report can express your objections to information in the original document. Explain to your car accident attorney the information you do not agree with and why you disagree.

Before making statements about the accident, it is always best to seek legal representation. The insurance company may use your statements against, impacting a claim or influencing the outcome of a jury trial. A thorough investigation of a car wreck in Rhode Island can combat disputed information and support your case.

Documenting Disputed Information in a Police Report

Successful Rhode Island car wreck settlements and personal injury lawsuits are built on proof. Securing effective documentation is why you should hire a Rhode Island car accident lawyer. To request a supplemental report, be prepared to present evidence that supports your statements, such as:

• Pictures and videos from the accident scene
• Personal phone records
• Medical records
• Security camera footage or dash cam recordings

Collecting this information from the other driver is impossible without legal action. Your car accident attorney can also work to correct disputed information using expert witness testimony and applying legal concepts, even when the request for a supplemental report is not granted.

Ultimately, changing a police report after a car accident is beneficial but may not be possible.

Discuss a Rhode Island Car Wreck and Changing a Police Report

Experience matters when a police report does not accurately relay the facts of an accident. Successfully navigating complex legal cases is possible. 

Schedule a free consultation with an experienced car accident lawyer in Rhode Island at Gemma Law Associates today to discuss if a police report can be changed after a car accident.