Following the vast majority of car accidents, a police officer will respond to the scene, conduct an investigation, and prepare an accident report. This report becomes the starting point for any subsequent investigation by our personal injury law firm. The accident report will identify the people involved in the accident, the time the accident occurred, weather conditions, the officer’s opinion as to what happened, whether any tickets were issued, insurance information, and written statements from witnesses.
While the current accident reports provide ample data to allow for further investigation into the accident, The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) announced today that it has posted a new model to be used.
The revised Guidelines will, among other things, allow officers to better capture data for emerging issues such as distracted driving, secondary crashes and incidents on private property as well as determine the level of serious injury from motor vehicle crashes. States will be able to use federal funding authorized under the new surface transportation MAP-21 legislation to make improvements in their crash and other related data systems and come into compliance with the new MMUCC Guideline.
Hopefully, these new Guidelines will “fill in the blanks” that are created by the current format. When an accident happens and gets reported to an insurance company, it occasionally becomes a race to see which one can deny responsibility for the accident first. If there are any gaps or simple mistakes in the police report, an insurance adjuster may try and take advantage of that to avoid having to pay out on a claim. It is unlikely that this type of conduct will ever be eliminated altogether, but hopefully the new Guidelines will reduce the number of times it occurs.
If you or a loved one has been in an accident, it is important that you contact an attorney to protect your rights. The Brave Law Firm, LLC offers an initial free consultation so that we can evaluate your case. We have offices in Wichita and Salina to better serve our clients. We invite you to call us and schedule your free consultation today at (855) 232-7283.
