What happens when you get injured in a car accident in Georgia, get a copy of the police crash report, and realize that it’s wrong? To fix the report, you must gather evidence that proves the report is wrong, call the responding officer who wrote it, and ask them to correct it.
If the officer won’t correct the mistake, you should immediately seek help from an experienced Georgia car accident lawyer at Sherrod & Bernard, P.C. Our goal will be to protect your rights.
How Can You Get a Copy of the Police Crash Report After Your Accident?
You can get a copy of your crash report after a crash in Douglasville or elsewhere in Georgia by submitting an online request at www.buycrash.com. To get a copy of the report, you will need to pay a fee.
You can also go to your local law enforcement agency. For instance, in Douglasville, you can go to the Douglasville Police Department in person to request a paper copy of your report. The fee is $2. The address is:
2083 Fairburn Road
Douglasville, GA 30135.
If the Georgia State Patrol investigated the crash, you can contact a local State Patrol Post or the Open Records Unit. Complete the Open Records Request form and include it with your submission. The Open Records Unit address is:
P.O. Box 1456
Attention: Open Records Unit
Atlanta, GA 30371.
What Information Should the Georgia Car Crash Report Provide?
The crash report contains information about the accident, which may include:
- Details of the drivers and passengers in each vehicle
- Each driver’s insurance company and policy number
- Date, time, and location of the auto accident
- Vehicle damage resulting from the crash.
The report may include witness statements, the results of alcohol or drug tests, and whether any law enforcement agency issued citations.
The report should also contain the officer’s impressions of how the accident occurred, along with details about any contributing factors and the officer’s diagram of the accident and vehicle damage.
What Could Be the Role of Crash Report Information in Your Claim or Lawsuit?
When you file your car accident insurance claim or send a demand letter for compensation to the at-fault party’s insurance company, the crash report is important. Insurance companies often rely on the crash report for information about how the crash occurred. Because the reporting officer is an unbiased observer, what they include in their report tends to carry weight.
Why Should You Correct Any Errors in Your Police Crash Report?
Several types of errors can appear in a police crash report. These include:
- Factual errors – These mistakes include incorrect names, incorrect license plate numbers, or erroneous vehicle descriptions.
- Subjective errors – Subjective errors are mistakes the officer may have made when determining who was at fault or how the accident occurred.
- Errors of omission – An error of omission happens when the officer omits a fact or important detail from the report.
Even if details like the color of the at-fault party’s vehicle don’t seem important, you should seek to correct them as you identify them. Because the crash report can be used in court as evidence of what happened in the crash, all the details must be correct. If an incorrect detail does not support your case, it will be too late at trial to try to correct it.
What Steps Can You Take to Correct the Auto Accident Report?
How do you get a crash report amended if you find an error? You can contact the officer who filed the report and request a correction. Follow these steps:
- Gather evidence – Before you contact the officer, collect evidence showing the original report is incorrect. This evidence can include footage from traffic, CCTV, or dashcams. It could be data from a vehicle’s electronic data recorder that shows the vehicle’s speed and braking just before the crash. Additional witness statements from people who saw the accident occur can help establish the facts.
- Contact the officer – You should reach the officer who responded to the accident scene. Their name and badge number will be on the report. Make an appointment to present your evidence to the officer. Explain what is incorrect in the report and ask that they make the correction.
If the officer will not amend the report, you should contact an experienced Georgia car accident attorney to help you.
What Should You Do If the Officer Will Not Change the Accident Report?
Once you’ve engaged a lawyer because the officer won’t change the crash report, you can hand over your entire case to them.
A lawyer will investigate the case and gather evidence that may have been missed. They can contact the police officer to discuss amending the police report based on the evidence. If the officer still refuses, the lawyer can note the conversation. If the police report harms your case in settlement negotiations or at trial, the lawyer can reveal the evidence that shows the error and reveal that the officer didn’t change the report, despite the evidence.
Your car accident lawyer at Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., will know how to protect your rights. Your attorney can determine who was at fault for the accident, why you deserve compensation for your injuries and losses from the accident, and the extent of the compensation you’re entitled to receive.
Contact a Georgia Car Accident Lawyer
If you suffered injuries in a car crash caused by someone else’s negligence, that’s bad enough. Finding errors in the police report and having trouble getting the officer to correct them can make life even more stressful.
A Georgia car accident lawyer at Sherrod & Bernard, P.C., is here to help you. We’ve served injured people for over 30 years and recovered millions of dollars for our clients.
We treat clients like family. Let us make you part of our family, too. Contact our office today for your free consultation.