How to Read a Mississippi Accident Report

If you have ever been involved in a Mississippi car accident, you most likely know that you must report the accident. A police officer who arrives at the scene of the crash will also complete a Mississippi Uniform Crash Report.

The Mississippi Uniform Crash Report is filed with the Department of Public Safety and explains the details of your accident. A Mississippi car accident lawyer will use this important report as evidence to determine who is at fault for the collision.

At Merkel & Cocke, P.A., we understand that these accident reports may be difficult to read or comprehend, especially if you have never seen one before. In this article, we will tell you how to read this type of report because we believe it is extremely important to ensure that it accurately and correctly explains the details of your accident.

The basics of reading a Mississippi accident report

At the top of each page, you will see your agency number and a case number. The agency number is typically four digits, and the case number is typically 12 characters long. Your case number will be a unique set of numbers that only matches your report; this number should be the same on every single page of your accident report.

On the first page, you will see basic details about your car accident, such as the date that it occurred, the time, and the location. It will also tell the time that the police arrived at the scene and when your crash was reported to law enforcement. Looking further at your report, you will see how many vehicles were involved in the crash and if anyone died or had specific injuries.

The details of your Mississippi crash report

You may come across the “Crash Circumstances and Conditions” section of your Mississippi crash report and wonder what exactly this means. This section describes the first harmful event in your accident. A police officer will select the type of motor vehicle accident you experienced. Depending on the type of accident, the officer will select if it was a non-collision, collision with a non-fixed object, or a collision with a fixed object. The next sections go over where the car accident happened, explaining the weather conditions, road conditions, and the lighting at the time of the crash.

When you move to page two of your accident report, you will see there is a place for a photographer’s name to be written. This means that if there was a photographer at the scene of the crash taking photos, their name will go in this section. There is also a section for the reviewing officer to place their name. After that, you will see several boxes for different witnesses. If any individuals saw your accident happen, their names and contact details will be listed. While there is only enough room for three witnesses in this section, a supplemental page can be attached if there were more.

The next few sections will describe vehicle information, such as the vehicle type, the body type, the VIN, make of the car, the color, license plate number, the owner’s name and address, and any type of damage that occurred. Next, the officer will describe the circumstances of the motor vehicle, which basically explains the details of the vehicle during the accident.

If you have been involved in an accident with a commercial vehicle, the officer is required to fill out the section titled “Commercial Motor Vehicle Information.” Commercial vehicles or trucks are motor vehicles that are either transporting several people or are transporting hazardous materials. This section will provide the name and contact information of the driver, the type of commercial vehicle they were driving, and the details about their cargo load or trailer.

After this section, you will see where the responding officer filled out any medical information, the driver’s condition, the driver’s actions, and any citations given. Then, you will see the passenger information. This section explains the details of your passenger if anyone else was present in the vehicle with you.

 

Crash diagram and narrative section

Lastly, you will come to two pages that were blank before your officer filled them in. These are the diagram and narrative sections. In the diagram section, the officer draws a diagram of your car accident. This allows others to see what the crash scene looked like. It most likely shows the direction you were traveling and the position of the vehicles that were involved. You will also be able to see the traffic signals, road markings, the name of the road, and any evidence that was clear at the time.

In the narrative section, the officer has written their narrative of what happened during and after your accident. This section is very important as it explains what the police officer believes caused the crash. It also provides details of evidence, interviews, and the damage to the vehicles. Both the diagram and narrative should give a summary of the entire car accident report, and all information must be factual and correct.

If you have recently been involved in a car accident and need help reading your accident report, fixing an inaccurate report, or proving that you are not at fault, please reach out to our Mississippi car accident lawyers at Merkel & Cocke, P.A. at your earliest convenience.

We are knowledgeable and skilled when it comes to these types of issues. Our team understands the frustrations that come with these types of cases, which is why we will do our best to help make the legal process clearer for you. Our offices are located in Jackson, Clarksdale, Greenville, and Oxford. Call us or submit our contact form to schedule your free consultation.