Oftentimes, injured individuals come to me seeking legal advice after being blamed for causing an accident. Unfortunately, many individuals have the misconception that simply because the law enforcement officer determined they were at fault no recovery for injuries will be permitted. This belief is 100% inaccurate.
Simply put, the officer did not witness the accident. The officer is simply basing his/her opinion on observations of the scene and witness statements. In fact, due to language barriers, in countless cases, the officer may only get one side of the story. However, please do not feel the officer is intentionally trying to cause you harm.
Quite frankly, accident scenes are extremely chaotic and create plenty of room for human error. A recent study performed by the Illinois Department of Transportation revealed that more than 70 percent of crash reports filled out by Chicago Police Department officers were missing important data, and 30 percent had errors. Furthermore, the names of streets were commonly misreported and the location of the accidents. Clearly, errors in police reports are a very common occurrence throughout the United States.
Now, here is the good news, you may still be able to recover for your injuries. I have handled countless cases where a thorough investigation reveals the officer was incorrect. For example, new witnesses can be discovered by obtaining 911 calls and by taking depositions. However, time is of the essence since memories fade and important evidence may be destroyed.
As such, if you were injured in an accident and do not feel you were at fault, it is important to seek counsel immediately. Seeking the right legal counsel who will immediately investigate your accident is crucial. The LaBovick Law Group has all the resources needed to adequately investigate the facts surrounding your accident. As such, if you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please do not hesitate to contact us for a free consultation.
