Not necessarily.
When police in Illinois complete an Illinois Traffic Crash Report to document a car accident, it seems they will generally list the driver they think to be more at fault as the “Unit #1” driver on the police report. But many times the police report doesn’t tell the whole story. This is particularly true because the police officer usually does not witness the accident itself; rather, the officer is only responding to the accident after it happened.
Accordingly, the issue of who is at fault or more at fault in an accident depends on all the evidence, not just what is included in a police report. And typically, in Illinois, police accident reports are not admissible evidence in court. See Morgan v. Rogers, 30 Ill. App. 3d 346, 350 (1st Dist. 1975)(“The actual admission of a police accident report as substantive evidence would generally be error”).
Goldstein Bender & Romanoff has helped injured people that were listed as the “Unit #1” driver obtain financial recovery and may be able to help you too.
If you are injured in an auto accident but have been listed as “Unit #1” on the police report, you may still have a successful personal injury claim. You have every right to consult with an attorney about your accident and injury. Feel free to call our firm today for a free consultation, (312) 346-8558.