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Often times after serious car accidents, victims rely on personal injury lawsuits against another driver who was at fault to pay for medical bills and lost wages. However, in order to sue, the victim must know the identity of the other driver, which is why filing police reports is so important.
But recently, a Philadelphia man found that police reports are not always effective after his personal injury lawyer spent several months trying to track down the driver who caused his SUV to flip, only to find out that it was an undercover cop who provided a false name.
The car accident occurred in 2009 on Route 295 in New Jersey when a state trooper, who was working undercover on an investigation at the time, slammed into the Philadelphia man’s Mitsubishi Montero at such a high rate that the Montero flipped.
The undercover trooper claimed that he had fallen asleep at the wheel in the accident report.
The Philadelphia man had to be hospitalized because of his injuries, which is why he pursued a personal injury lawsuit to help pay for medical bills.
Finally, after two years, it has been revealed that the name on the accident report was a fake identity issued by New Jersey State Troopers for use in the undercover investigation.
It was also revealed that while the Philadelphia man and his lawyer searched for the man responsible for the accident, State Troopers allegedly knew that the name on the accident report was false, but never told them, local news reported.
Now, a New Jersey prosecutor has charged the undercover officer with assault by auto and drunk driving. In addition, it was reported that New Jersey State Police also launched an “extensive review” into officers using undercover identification cards and drunk-driving incidents involving troopers.
Source: NBC Philadelphia, “Cover Up in NJ Trooper Accident: Report,” 5/15/2011.