While accident reports may vary somewhat from region to region, they all encompass the same basic information. When reviewing an accident report, it's important to know what to look for to prosecute your case.

The State of Mississippi uses the Uniform Crash Report, last revised in 2003. Police automatically complete a crash report in the event of a fatality, an injury or estimated damage of more than $250. When looking at a State of Mississippi Uniform Crash Report, the most important information is:

Accident time and place.

The first part of the Crash Report details the date, time and place of the accident, including an address or nearby cross street. This section also contains information about how many vehicles were involved, how many people were injured or killed and when an officer reported to the scene.

Accident details.

The next part of the crash report deals with accident details, such as circumstances under which the crash occurred (i.e. turning left in front of oncoming traffic, colliding with a parked vehicle or fixed object), where on the roadway the crash occurred, information about the intersection, if applicable, and information about the roadway. This section also contains environmental information, such as the weather, the state of the roadway and whether it was well-lit or dimly-lit at the time of the accident.

Witness information.

Following the accident information, the Crash Report contains a section for witness information. Witnesses should stay at the scene of the accident until an officer arrives, but if a witness insists on leaving, try to get relevant contact information, such as name, address, phone number and age.

Collision diagram and narrative.

The second page of the Crash Report contains a collision diagram and narrative of how the collision occurred. The police officer will complete this section after interviewing the drivers and any witnesses who remain at the scene.

Information about the drivers and vehicles.

The next section of the police report contains information about the drivers and vehicles. This section can get quite complicated, depending on how many people and vehicles are involved. Each person in the accident is listed, either as a driver or occupant, along with any information about injuries or safety equipment used in the accident.

Each vehicle gets its own vehicle section, with details about the condition of the vehicle, damage to the vehicle, vehicle ownership information, and any other relevant details. This section also contains any information about citations or charges filed against any of the drivers in the accident, as well as insurance information vital for the prosecution of a motor vehicle accident case. Commercial vehicles have a separate section of the Crash Report, and the vehicle information includes carrier information, registration information, information about the vehicle and what, if anything, it was hauling.