Anyone that has been involved in an on-road accident should make a point of calling officers to the scene of the crash, so that those same officers can file a police report.

The victim of an accident should help with the filing of a police report.

The absence of such a report might cause an adjuster to rescind an offer, during negotiations. The report’s availability could also help to strengthen any claim, especially if the victim were to have some late-appearing symptoms.

What sort of information might be found in an officer’s log?

• The date, time and place of the accident
• Contact information for all of the involved drivers
• Insurance information for those same drivers
• A statement from each driver
• A rough sketch of the accident site, along with a narrative, explaining what happened
• The nature and location of any vehicle damage
• Road and weather conditions at the time of the collision
• Details on any tickets that were issued to any of the involved drivers

Why do adjusters take the time to study the police report?

That document might contain facts that could suggest that the claimant/plaintiff was partly to blame for the accident. The adjuster’s eyes search for evidence that the claimant’s story has not remained consistent, as it has been repeated.

Who else might make use of what an officer has reported?

The claimant’s lawyer might use that report to show that the adjuster has made false or exaggerated allegations. A Personal Injury Lawyer in Mississauga would check to see if there was a sound basis for any of the adjuster’s claims. An accident reconstruction engineer could use what as in such a report, in order to ascertain how a given accident took place.

Under what circumstances would what will in an officer’s log/report not be considered of value?

That would be the case in a courtroom, because a judge would view such material as hearsay. It would qualify as a second-hand account. Furthermore, there would be no way for any lawyer to cross-examine the person that has spoken to an officer, and has shared certain facts with the same officer.

If the same officer were later found guilty of some specific crime, then those in authority might feel less inclined to trust the veracity of what the same officer has jotted down in his or her log. Sometimes those viewed as an authority figure might include the adjuster in the insurance company, or some representative from the same company.

Insurance companies do not always agree with the opinion expressed in the officer’s log, especially the opinion that concerns a determination of the at-fault party. That is why a smart claimant should seek a lawyer’s assistance, when negotiating with an adjuster.