The Police Report Is Wrong Or Inaccurate, What Should I Do Now?
By Bret Schnitzer
Many times auto accident victims get the police report and it is wrong. Either the facts are wrong, or information taken down is wrong. This creates a lot of concern by injury victims whether an inaccurate police report will adversely affect their auto/motorcycle case?
UD-10 reports commonly are referred to as police reports. Often times, these UD-10 reports are made by police officers who do not actually witness the collision. As a result the UD-10 is not always accurate. For this reason Michigan has a statute which prohibits the admission of the UD-10 in the civil automoblie accident case. The hazardous action number assigned by the police is generally not admissable in a civil case where the officer did not see the accident. Having said that, there are statements and information contained in the UD-10 that can be used if properly introduced through the officer or witnesses at trial in a civil case For example, if a party admits that they were at fault in the accident, then that admission can be used against them Excited utterances at the scene by parties can in some circumstances be introduced. Observations by the police officer are generally admissible.
In traffic fatalities the Police often do an accident reconstruction. This is where they bring in officers who are qualified through training and experience to reconstruct accidents. Often they take photographs, do measurements, look at vehicle damage, look at vehicle positions, look at skid marks, scrapes and gouges in the roadway, and other evidence, do scientific testing and try to reconstruct an accident. These accident reconstructionists if properly qualified can render testimony as to fault based upon their reconstruction of the accident.
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