Car crashes can be traumatic for all involved parties. In the confusion and turmoil following a car accident, getting a crash report may be the last thing on your mind. However, obtaining a police report is one of the first things you should do after any car accident.
Our experienced Long Island car accident attorneys can get a copy of your crash report and gather other important evidence while you focus on recovering after an accident. If you were hurt in a car accident on Long Island, call (855) NYC-HURT or contact us online to schedule a free case evaluation.
How to Request an Accident Report for a Car Crash on Long Island
You may be uncertain how to get a copy of the police report related to your car accident. Fortunately, there are multiple ways to do so. You can choose the method most convenient for you after an accident.
Contact the Police
The most direct way to get a copy of your police report is simply to contact the police department that responded to the crash. On Long Island, this might be a local precinct (e.g., Nassau County or Suffolk County) or the New York State Police.
Most police departments have online options to request a report, but you can also ask in person. The New York State Police also allows you to request a report online or at a nearby station.
File a Request With the Department of Motor Vehicles
You can also request a copy of your police report online through the New York DMV. You will need to provide the date and location of the crash, as well as details like your license plate number, driver’s license number, and DMV case number. The DMV charges a $7 search fee and a $15 report fee.
Use CrashDocs and Similar Sites
Insurance Company
If you already filed an insurance claim, the insurer will likely obtain the police report when investigating your crash. This can be an easy way to get a copy of your police report without filing a request yourself.
Hire an Attorney
Hiring an attorney can facilitate the process of collecting evidence, including your crash report. Our Long Island personal injury attorneys can request the police report on your behalf as part of our independent investigation. You can trust our knowledgeable legal team to gather all available evidence and build the strongest claim possible on your behalf.
Why Do You Need an Accident Report for a Car Crash on Long Island?
Jumping through hoops to get ahold of your accident report might feel like a hassle, especially with everything else you have going on after a car accident. After all, you can probably tell the story just like it happened. You might even have already gathered other important evidence, like photos and videos of the scene. However, there are many reasons you should get a police report after an accident on Long Island.
For example, accident reports are crucial to the insurance claim process after a crash because they provide an authoritative account of the accident from the perspective of a law enforcement official. When both drivers in a crash insist the other is at fault, a neutral third-party account can help determine where liability for the accident truly lies.
New York State Law
After being hurt in a crash in Long Island, you are legally required to report the accident within 10 days if it resulted in property damage over $1000, injuries, or fatalities. Failure to do so can compromise your case and result in license suspension. You should also stay at the scene if an accident results in injuries.
Official Record
Police reports are a central part of the official record of the crash, containing details like the date, time, and location of an accident, as well as details about how the collision happened and even information from witnesses. Reports may also contain crash diagrams, forensic analysis, and other important information gathered at the scene. Having an official record of the crash can bolster your case by demonstrating the objective facts of the incident.
Insurance Claims
Though you can file an insurance claim in New York without a crash report, these documents are typically an important part of the claims process. Without a report, it’s more difficult to prove that a crash happened the way that you say.
Without a report, your claim may take significantly longer to resolve, and the insurer may use the lack of an official record to deny your compensation. Insurance companies particularly value police reports because they contain a law enforcement officer’s assessment of fault, which can be used to determine which party is most responsible for an accident.
If you’re found to be partially at fault for a car accident, you can still recover damages in New York under the principle of comparative negligence. However, your compensation will be reduced in proportion to your degree of fault. A police accident report can be used to maximize your claim value by countering any wrongful allegations.
Legal Evidence
If either party plans to pursue legal action after a car accident, the accident report is a key piece of evidence when building a claim. Attorneys on both sides of a car accident lawsuit will reference the accident report. Without a police report, your attorney will have to rely on less authoritative evidence, such as biased testimony.
Contact the Long Island Car Accident Lawyers at Chopra & Nocerino
If you’ve been hurt in a car accident, you need top-of-the-line legal representation to defend your right to compensation. The legal team at Chopra & Nocerino is made up of seasoned car accident attorneys with extensive experience getting high-value case results for accident victims throughout Long Island. Call (855) NYC-HURT or contact us online today to schedule a free case evaluation.
