How Do I Request Changes to a Police Report After an Accident in Georgia?

Posted in Blog on February 15, 2021

If you or somebody you care about has been involved in a vehicle accident in Atlanta, there are various steps that you need to take to ensure that you receive the compensation you are entitled to. One of the most important documents that you will need after a crash occurs is the official accident report. This document is going to be used to determine liability by insurance carriers or during a personal injury case. However, what happens if information in the police report is incorrect? Here, we want to discuss how you can request changes to a police report after a Georgia vehicle accident.

Requesting changes to the police report

Because the police report will weigh heavily on decisions made by the insurance carrier or during a personal injury trial, if one is necessary, it is understandable that a person will want to correct any information within the report that is wrong.

If there are factual errors in the police report, it may not be terribly difficult to amend it. However, if the information that needs changing is in dispute, such as information that revolves around fault, changing the report is going to be difficult, if not impossible.

• Gather evidence. If you believe that the police report contains factually inaccurate information, you will need to provide evidence showing that is the case. Some of the evidence that could be used to correct an accident report include:
  • Eyewitness statements
  • Video surveillance footage
  • Photographic evidence
  • Number one call recordings
• Contact the officer. After you have gathered the evidence that you believe shows the inaccuracies of the police report, you should contact the officer that made the report. In general, the police officer’s name and phone number will be on the original accident report. In some cases, the police officer gives their card to every person at the scene of the crash.
• Make an appointment with the officer. Make an appointment with the police officer so that you can show them the evidence that you have gathered and ask them to change the report. Make your case without emotion and by presenting only the facts. The officer may not make all the changes that you want. The officer can only list facts that they can verify.
• Contact a Georgia car accident attorney. If you have been involved in a vehicle accident where liability is disputed, you should work with a skilled personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. An attorney with experience handling car accident cases will be able to handle every aspect of your claim for you. This includes gathering evidence needed to prove liability, pointing out inaccuracies in the accident reports, and working with all parties to reach a fair settlement on your behalf.

Police report inaccuracies can affect compensation

If you or somebody you care about has been injured in an accident caused by the actions of another driver in Georgia, you should be entitled to various types of compensation. However, inaccurate police reports can affect the compensation you receive. You should be entitled to coverage of your medical bills, lost income, out-of-pocket expenses, pain and suffering damages, and more. However, if an inaccurate police report places the blame on you, you may not receive any compensation at all. Even if the inaccuracies place partial blame on you for the accident, this could reduce the total compensation you receive.