Can My Indiana Car Accident Report Be Changed or Revised? What You Need to Know

Following a car accident, especially one involving an injury, a police officer investigates the scene and prepares a police report. The police report is imperative because it helps record event details, determine the liable party, and establish a valid claim. As such, there’s no denying the importance of the police report.

For this reason, you may be concerned about the content of the information in the car accident report. Put briefly, concerns arise when details in the report may not reflect exactly what happened. For instance, the report may provide an erroneous description of the accident or wrong information about who caused it.

Insurance adjusters may use such information to dispute your claim or lower the amount of compensation you deserve. For this reason, it’s important to request a police report following an accident to verify its contents. Depending on the information in the report, you may be wondering whether you can change or amend the police report.

Here is a brief review on changing or amending Indiana car accident reports.

What Causes Errors in a Police Report?

The purpose of a police report is to give an independent account of what led to the accident. Admittedly, the police attempt to rely on any piece of evidence they find at the scene for an accurate recreation of what happened. Although this is imperative and contains a certain degree of accuracy, they may not collect all the information. Alternatively, there can be misinformation from witnesses leading to an inaccurate police report. 

Although the police officer was acting in good faith, such inaccuracies in the police report may eventually harm your claim. For this reason, it is imperative to have an attorney help ensure that the contents of the report are amended to reflect the truth, when possible.

Can Your Indiana Car Accident Report Be Changed or Revised?

The simple answer is “yes,” but it can be difficult.

If you believe there are certain inaccuracies in the contents of the car accident report, you have the right to request a revision, however, it will require additional evidence, interpretations, or facts that may not have been previously considered. Typically, an attorney can help you to determine if the new information or interpretation will serve as evidence to amend your report.

Often, officers are reluctant to make the necessary amendments to the car accident report unless you provide compelling evidence that contradicts the contents of the police report, thus warranting the change.  Alternatively, they may be persuaded to amend the report if you produce an independent witness present at the scene of the accident and who can provide an independent testimony in relation to what happened.

What Should You Do if the Investigating Officer Refuses to Change or Revise the Indiana Car Accident Report?

Generally speaking, it is at the discretion of the police officer to amend or revise the car accident report. As such, the police officer may fail or refuse to amend the report without providing any reason whatsoever. You can still push for amendments simply because it is within your right.

To achieve this, have a competent and qualified attorney to ensure that your rights and interests are safeguarded. What’s more, the attorney will have well-founded arguments with the legal backing to ensure that the necessary amendments are made.

What Should You Do if the Police Report Indicates That the Other Driver Had No Insurance?

If the officer indicates that the driver has no insurance, it is imperative to get professional help immediately. Having an attorney by your side may help clarify the contents of the report. There may have been an honest mistake made by the police officer and the driver or owner has a source of insurance. 

What if the Officer Didn’t Take Witness Statements in an Indiana Car Accident Report?

It is possible that the officer may have a valid reason for omitting a witness statements. This might be the case if the police officer deems it necessary to avoid relying on witness testimony that they believe may lead to inaccurate findings. However, this shouldn’t preclude you or your attorney from including witness statements or testimony in the report.

In simpler terms, you may be able to include witness statements in your police report as long as the information is unbiased and accurate. To ensure that your witness statements are admitted or added to the police report, you need to have an attorney by your side to help you substantiate the validity of the statements.

Contact an Attorney to Have Your Indiana Car Accident Report Revised or Amended? 

If you’ve noticed certain errors or mistakes in the police report that may end up denying a potential claim, take quick action to safeguard your interests. Having an attorney can help eliminate some of the mistakes in the report, thus, giving you the right to seek compensation.

At the Boulton law group, we have experience handling car crash accident claims in Indiana and understand some of the challenges that our clients experience when filing claims related to the accidents. As such, we work hard to ensure that their rights are protected.

Contact us today for a free case evaluation.