A police report can serve as an important piece of evidence during a car accident claim in Washington. The police report documents key details about the crash. If you wish to change or amend something in a police report after it has already been submitted, you must provide strong evidence that a mistake was made.
What Information Does a Police Report Contain?
When the police respond to the scene of a reported car accident, they will sometimes write a crash report with the results of their investigation. This report will contain important information that has been documented for the record, such as:
- The date, time and location of the crash
- The weather and road conditions
- Both drivers’ names
- The names of any passengers or witnesses
- Vehicle information
- A description of the accident, including a sketch or diagram
- A description of any injuries suffered
- Official photographs of the scene and any property damage
- Citations given to either driver for traffic violations
- The officer’s observations and opinions guarding fault
The police report can be a crucial piece of evidence for an insurance claim. The insurance company can use the report to determine fault or liability for the motor vehicle collision. If you are involved in a car accident in Washington, having an accurate police report is important.
When Can You Amend a Police Report?
If you obtain a copy of your police report and discover that the police officer made a mistake on the document, or if you wish to change something on the report, you can only do so in certain circumstances. You or your car accident attorney must show strong evidence that a mistake was made on the report.
There must be evidence of either a factual error or a piece of disputed information. A factual error is easier to prove; all that is needed is documentation showing the correct information. It is more difficult to change other types of information, such as an eyewitness statement or a description of the injuries. This may be possible with evidence such as video footage of the accident, photographs, new witness statements and medical records. Only with compelling evidence will the police likely agree to change or amend the report.
Obtaining a Supplemental Car Accident Report in Washington
If you do not have enough evidence to change a car accident report, you may still be able to obtain a supplemental report or addendum. You can contact the police station that has the report and give the officer assigned to your case the additional information, such as testimony from new witnesses or evidence regarding disputed information. The officer will fill out a supplemental report with this information and attach it to the original.
How to Challenge or Correct a Police Report in Washington State
In the event that you need to add, change, amend, modify or dispute something on a police crash report in Washington, the best thing to do is to hire a car accident attorney. A lawyer can help you obtain a copy of your police report and determine if it is possible to change any information. If so, your attorney can help you collect and present strong evidence in support of the change.
If you wish to speak to an attorney about changing or amending a police report after a car accident in Washington, contact NW Injury Law Center for a free consultation.