One of the first things you should do when in an auto accident is call the police. Their reports can be crucial to personal injury cases, as they document the location of the accident, the position of the vehicles, and many other important details. However, police officers are also known to make mistakes from time to time.

Of course you should never admit fault in an accident, but often eye witness reports and the evidence on the scene can provide enough information to make a preliminary determination of fault. A preliminary determination, mind you. We’ve had many cases where our clients were initially said to be at fault in the police report, but upon further investigation it’s revealed not to be accurate. In fact, we recently settled three cases where the initial police reports placed fault upon our clients. In one instance our client received a $100,000 settlement in a case where both the police report and insurance company had determined that our client caused the wreck—and the insurance company had already paid money to the at-fault person! Through the use of an accident reconstruction and from tracking down a number of important witnesses, we were able to prove that our client was the real victim.

So remember, don’t always accept the accident report! Consult your attorney before discussing your case with anyone, especially an insurance company, and let the personal injury professionals sort out the details and get you the settlement you deserve.