After an accident, a police report is a critical tool to document what occurred and to gather all evidence in the case. You will need to file a car accident police report with the officer at the scene or later at the local police department. At the Shelly Leeke Law Firm, our North Charleston car accident lawyer will work with clients throughout this process, ensuring an accurate and thorough report.
What Happens When the Accident Report Is Not Accurate
There are some times when the data within the police report is flawed or simply wrong. The police officer reporting to the scene is not likely lying but more likely does not have all of the data to make a clear decision. It is possible to change the police report, but this is a delicate process.
You may be able to speak to the police officer and present accurate information or updates to the data the officer provided. You can then encourage or ask them to make amendments to the police report. This is not something they have to do, though.
For this reason, our personal injury lawyers in North Charleston encourage you to ensure the data provided when creating an accident report is as accurate as possible. Ensure it is detailed, and document any statements by other parties or missing information. That is a critical step.
How to File a Police Report in South Carolina
To file a car accident police report, visit the website or the local police station in the jurisdiction where the accident took place. They will ask you to fill out a detailed document that outlines what occurred, the time and place, and other details. Take your time to be thorough within this document, including filling out any boxes.
There is often a space on a police report for you to outline what occurred from your point of view. Start at the beginning of what you saw and experienced, and write down all of the details you remember about the accident and after. There are a few key things to remember when filing a police report:
- Only include facts, not any assumptions or guesses you are making about what occurred or why it happened.
- Do not admit to any fault throughout the police report, including making statements like “I did not see” or “I should have looked…” Only provide facts.
- Provide accurate information and be truthful about the incident. This is not the place to hide information.
Your Contributions to a Police Report Are Just One Part
When you make a car accident police report, you are providing the police department and reporting officer with information about your particular experience. This is one component of the police report, with other parts coming from the police officer on the scene as well as other parties involved in the accident. Keep this in mind when creating your accident report.
The police officer reporting to the scene of the incident is likely to document what occurred and make a formal police report that assigns fault. You want to be sure that, by the time they do so, they are able to see exactly what your side of the story is. Ensure that the car accident report is as accurate and detailed as possible so they can easily do that.
You do not have to do this on your own. If you are unsure of what to expect or what you should write, let our car accident attorneys offer guidance. In many situations, we will be able to guide you in creating a detailed, accurate, and clear document that helps prove what occurred.
Why Is the Police Report so Important?
The police report is a document that can be used as evidence both in criminal situations and civil matters. If the other party is responsible for your injuries and the accident’s damage, you need the police report to indicate this. The police report will inform the insurance company and others involved of several things:
- It states the details of what occurred so that it is clear to see who is to blame.
- If you are partially to blame, the police officer creating the report will determine that. This could impact your ability to obtain compensation.
- The details in the police report are considered accurate (from the police officer), but the information contained by you or the other party could be flawed.
- Insurance companies use police reports to guide their decisions on whether to compensate a person after an accident.
- If your case goes to trial, this will be one component of evidence used in the case.
The police report is critical. If you are working with a car accident attorney from our law firm, our attorneys will work to ensure it accurately represents your loss and the cause. In many cases, this will be a core component of your legal actions, and Shelly Leeke Law Firm can help.
How Our Car Accident Attorneys Will Help You
Making a car accident police report itself is not a challenging process in that you can visit the local police station to do so. What is important is getting it right the first time. Let our attorneys work with you to protect your right to compensation:
- We will advise you on how to make the police report accurate and detailed without incriminating yourself in any way.
- We will work to find any available evidence that could support your claims or may outright disprove the information reported by other people.
- You will have guidance on how to manage the process of filing a claim and getting the compensation owed to you.
We work to protect our clients from the start. You can trust our team to offer guidance throughout this process.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Accident Attorneys Now
If you need a trusted car accident attorney in South Carolina, let the team at Shelly Leeke Law Firm guide you. Contact us now to set up a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your case. Call our office now and know we are available 24 hours a day to help you.
