What Is the Likelihood? How Do You Ensure that It Gets Corrected?
Is it possible or even likely that the police report about your truck accident contains inaccurate information or may even be completely wrong? It’s one of the first things most people want after a crash—a report for law enforcement officers setting forth exactly what happened. Unfortunately, with the initial report, the officer may simply rely on statements from the parties and from witnesses, which may be biased or based on a limited perspective. How likely is it that your police report will contain false or inaccurate statements? What can you do if you discover errors in the police report?
Statistics Show Significant Percentage of Police Reports Contain False or Inaccurate Statements
In a study conducted at Bowling Green State University, researcher Philip Stinson, a professor of criminal justice, found that about anywhere from 10 to 30 percent of all police reports contain some initial factual inaccuracies, either carelessly or intentionally made. Stinson found that many of the errors were due to poor memory or human error, but others were the result of witness misstatements or intentional misconduct.
Your Rights in Texas if a Police Report on a Truck Accident is Incorrect
In Texas, you always have the right to challenge the findings of a law enforcement officer, but there’s a process that you must follow:
- Request a certified copy of the report as soon as possible
- Identify any inaccuracies and gather evidence to challenge those assertions
- Contact the officer and ask for a supplemental report to correct any mistakes or inaccurate statements
- If the officer ignores you or refuses your request, ask to see a supervisor in his or her department
- Prepare and submit to the police department a written statement, identifying any inaccuracies and citing the evidence to counter those assertions
Let Us Help Protect Your Rights after a Texas Trucking Accident
At the Law Office of Michael R. De La Paz, we have more than 26 years of experience protecting the rights of personal injury victims in Harlingen, McAllen, Brownsville and Houston, across Texas and nationwide, including people who have suffered any type of injury in a trucking accident. We will use our considerable experience, skill, knowledge and resources to help you get the outcome you want. Free call, text or chat, 24 hours a day, seven days a week–https://delapazlaw.com/.
Handling Motor Vehicle Accident Cases Nationwide, Including, But Not Limited to Texas, Florida, New Mexico, Illinois and Oklahoma