How Can I Correct an Inaccurate Virginia Police Crash Report?

One advantage of a Virginia police crash report is that it can serve as an effective piece of evidence that you will be able to use to prove that the other driver’s negligence was responsible for your car accident. Regrettably, the officer in charge of filling out your report could possibly make a mistake when doing so. If you notice an error in your Virginia police crash report, it is vital that you get it corrected as soon as possible.  

Who do I contact about errors in my police car accident report?

Get in touch with the Norfolk personal injury lawyers at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp today to learn about your legal options after being hurt in a Virginia car crash. 

Two Kinds of Police Report Errors

Understanding the two kinds of mistakes that can happen in police reports is extremely useful when you are working with the police to get them corrected. The two types of errors are:

  • Factual errors: Factual errors are mistakes made regarding the basic facts of the incident, like the year, make, or model of your vehicle, the day the accident occurred, or any other small factual error. These are often easy to prove and easy to fix.  
  • Disputed facts: Disputed facts are mistakes pertaining to how the motor vehicle accident took place or who was at fault for the collision. They are considerably more challenging to have amended than a factual error.

How to Correct Mistakes in a Virginia Police Crash Report

Any mistakes in your Virginia police crash report must be corrected, even minor factual errors that may seem completely insignificant. After you contact the officer who filled out your crash report, there are some things that you can do to increase the ease and speed with which any errors are corrected.  

  • Be polite: It is important to always be polite when speaking with a law enforcement officer regarding errors in your police crash report. They are far more likely to correct a mistake if you are respectful and courteous.
  • Contact law enforcement right away: As soon as you notice an error in your police crash report, you should notify the police officer. It is much easier to fix a mistake, especially a minor one before the report is finalized.
  • Include necessary documentation: If your police report contains a factual error, make sure that you give the officer some form of proof showing the proper information, like your vehicle registration number if the mistake involves the make or model of your vehicle. Even if the error is a disputed fact, such as liability, submitting photographs that were taken right at the scene, eyewitness statements, or other forms of evidence could convince the officer to fix a mistake.
  • Submit your medical records: If you realize that you did not explain things very well when you were interviewed by the police regarding your injuries or what treatments you require, submit a copy of your medical records to the officer in charge and request that your statement and the police report be updated.
  • Attach a statement: It may be the case that you are unable to convince the officer to rectify an error concerning a disputed fact. In this scenario, you should prepare a statement that explains what happened in your own words and ask that it be included in the report.

If your Virginia police crash report contains errors that need to be corrected, you should work with an experienced Virginia car accident attorney and request that they speak with local law enforcement on your behalf. If you wish to file a claim following a Virginia car accident, our lawyers can help.  Schedule your free consultation by calling the Norfolk car accident lawyers at Shapiro, Washburn & Sharp at (833) 997-1774. 

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