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If you’ve been involved in a car accident in Michigan, you need to know how to read the police accident report – called a State of Michigan Traffic Crash Report, form MSP UD-10.
Insurance companies use this form to assess claims, determine fault, and verify that injuries were accident-related (which, with Michigan’s unusually robust no-fault insurance system, can make a dramatic difference in your claim). Moreover, if the investigating officer is called to testify in a deposition or at trial, their testimony will most likely be based on the report.
State of Michigan Traffic Crash Report (Form MSP UD-10)
https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/mi_ud10_crashform_01_2004.pdf
Page 1
The first section of this page provides an overview of the accident, including the date, time, and location, the crash type, and any environmental circumstances (such as low light, inclement weather, or wet or icy road conditions) that may have contributed to the accident. The officer also notes any special circumstances, such as a hit and run.
Click here to download a printable PDF of How to Read Your Michigan Car Accident Report.
The rest of this page is about the first vehicle, or Unit, involved in the crash. The report documents the vehicle identification number (VIN), driver’s contact information and license information, and what, if any, damage the vehicle sustained. Any citations given to the driver are also documented here, as are the driver’s known injuries. If the driver was tested for drugs or alcohol, that too is documented here.
Any passengers in the first vehicle are listed in the Passengers section, including names, contact information, and level of injury. Injured passengers are listed first. There is additional space below to include contact information for the vehicle owner (if not the driver), any uninjured passengers, and witnesses.
Page 2
The first section of the second page describes the second vehicle (Unit) involved in the crash, in the same manner as the previous page. In single-vehicle accidents, this section is simply left blank.
The bottom section notes each unit’s role in the sequence of events during the crash, including the “most harmful event.” The investigating officer also has space to draw a diagram and write any remarks – which could include information not found elsewhere in the report.
If the crash involved a commercial vehicle, additional information about the carrier and commercial driver’s license (CDL) is included in the bottom left.
