What Role Does a Police Report Play in Your Personal Injury Case?

After you are in a wreck, especially if it involves a semi-truck or other heavy truck, the first thing you should do is call 911 to get police and emergency services to the scene. When police arrive at the scene, they will begin an investigation of the wreck. They will begin talking to individuals who were involved in the accident, including drivers and any passengers, as well as witnesses. Gathering this initial information and evidence will help them begin their investigation into a wreck.

Your police report typically includes a variety of details, such as:

• The date, time, and place of the accident
• A description of road conditions, such as lighting, and weather factors
• Descriptions of the vehicles involved, including the make, model, year, registration status, and license plate numbers
• Details of the wreck, such as the type of road where it occurred; what sorts of damage were inflicted; and if there is suspicion of speeding, intoxication, or negligence
• Names and information for all the injured parties, as well as the initial extent of their injuries and whether they had to go to the hospital
• Any notable property damage caused by the wreck
• The names, agencies, and badge numbers of the responding officers
• Witness statements and their information
• Potentially a diagram of the accident, focusing on signage, stoplights, crosswalks, merge lanes, and more
• Who the police believe is responsible for the accident.

All this information provides the initial details of the wreck, providing them with the initial version of what those involved said happened in the accident and creating a snippet of what the police think may have happened. Yet, police reports may not always paint the full picture.

How the Police Report Leads Your Attorney in the Right Direction

Following a truck accident, the police report may not be completely accurate. It may even state that you are at fault for the wreck when you know you were not. However, the police’s opinion is usually not admissible unless the police officer is a reconstructionist. Regardless of what the report says, it will still help your attorney conduct an investigation and gather evidence to develop your case.

One way the report can aid your attorney is by listing those involved in the wreck, information about the vehicles, and people who witnessed the accident. With this data, your lawyer can investigate the truck driver and trucking company—including any previous wrecks they have been involved in, identify the truck itself and file for preservation of evidence so a mechanic can inspect it, use a reconstructionist to compare their own evidence with what was detailed in the report, and use private investigators to find witnesses that may have more information.

Each of these resources can aid your attorney in creating a clear picture of how the accident happened and why. And if the accident resulted in wrongful death, it is especially vital for your attorney to have the information necessary to conduct a thorough investigation because the victim cannot share their side of the story.

Ask David: Episode 69 of After the Crash with Holly Hinds

David W. Craig is the managing partner and a founding member of Craig, Kelley & Faultless, a personal injury and wrongful death law firm. He has authored two books, Semitruck Wreck: A Guide for Victims and Their Families and It’s Never Been Easier to Hire the Wrong Attorney, to help victims navigate the legal process.

Holly Hinds is a Litigation Paralegal at Craig, Kelley & Faultless. She has worked with the firm for around 10 years and is a vital member of the legal team, working to help clients seek the justice they deserve.

She and David discussed how important police reports are in auto and truck accident cases and why they may not always be accurate on a recent episode of After the Crash, David’s free podcast. Ranked fourth-best personal injury podcast by FeedSpot, After the Crash educates and empowers listeners.

Holly asked David questions about how police reports are acquired, what happens when a police report is wrong, and more about the legal industry during episode 69.

Want to Know More? Check Out These Resources

Everything in this article — and even more — is discussed at length by attorney David W. Craig in Semitruck Wreck: A Guide for Victims and Their Families and It’s Never Been Easier to Hire the Wrong Attorney, available on Amazon.

Check out David’s “Red Flag” series to learn more ways to spot the wrong law firms or lawyers.

Learn more by following Craig, Kelley & Faultless on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.

The attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless are nationally recognized and have helped clients across the country recover from life-altering wrecks. They are prepared to fight insurance companies and motor carriers on your behalf.

Both attorneys David W. Craig and Scott A. Faultless are board-certified in truck accident law by the NBTA, accredited by the American Bar Association. The firm also has a rapid response team—including investigators, reconstructionists and mechanics—that is sent to the scene of a wreck to collect evidence as soon as the firm is hired.

For a free case consultation, contact the team at Craig, Kelley & Faultless today by calling (888) 253-5198 or submitting an online form.

David W. Craig is a nationally recognized truck accident lawyer who sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. He is board certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, accredited by the American Bar Association in Truck Accident Law. He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. He was the recipient of the National Thurgood Marshall “Fighting for Justice” Award for his work helping victims of truck wrecks. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck: A Guide for Victims and Their Families and It’s Never Been Easier to Hire the Wrong Attorney, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.