Car accidents are unfortunately frequent occurrences in and around Queens. Our city is densely packed with people, and everyone seems to be on the go constantly. With so many people and vehicles on our roads, accidents are inevitable. When the police are called to an accident, they are required to file a report. The report contains information that may be crucial to injured drivers seeking compensation.
To get a police report about your car accident, you must contact the police precinct that has authority over your case. The precinct you must contact depends on where your accident occurred. If your accident happened in Queens, you must contact a police precinct in Queens. While not all drivers need to get a police report after an accident, the report could be extremely helpful if you file an insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.
A car accident can feel like one big blur, and an injured driver might not remember the officers who responded to the accident or which precinct to contact. Our Queens car accident lawyers can help you track down the accident report you need. Speak with the team at The Carrion Law Firm about getting assistance today. Call us at (718) 841-0083.
Ways to Obtain a Police Report After a Car Accident in Queens
If you want to get the police report from your car accident in Queens, you will need to know the police precinct that handled your case. New York City is divided into 77 different police precincts, with 15 precincts in Queens alone. If you do not know which precinct handled your case, you can figure that out by using the location of your accident.
Getting your accident report requires contacting the officer or department in charge of your accident and submitting the proper form to request a copy of the report. You can use the internet to download copies of the forms to request copies of collision records and reports. Once you have filled out the forms, you can mail these copies to the appropriate precinct or deliver them in person.
However, the records and reports from your crash are only held by the precinct for 30 days. After 30 days, your accident report will be forwarded to The New York State Commissioner of Motor Vehicles. At that point, all requests for an accident report must go through the New York DMV.
If you are unsure where to get your accident report, our New York City car accident attorneys can help. We can help you figure out which precinct to contact or if the precinct no longer holds the report, we can help you obtain a report from the DMV.
Information in a Police Report for a Car Accident in Queens
According to V.A.T. Law § 603-A, the police are required to investigate every crash that results in serious physical injury or death and write a report. In each report, law enforcement must include specific details that are critical to a possible insurance claim or lawsuit.
First, accident reports contain general information about the collision. For example, the facts of how the accident happened, where the accident happened, who was involved, and the types of vehicles in the crash must all be reported. Second, if the police can determine how the accident happened or any factors contributing to the accident, that must be included. For example, if the other driver was speeding or ran a red light, thus causing the accident, that information should be included in the accident report. Contact our Elmhurst, Queens car accident lawyers about getting the accident report for your accident.
A police report for a car accident may be lengthy or short, depending on how the accident happened. Relatively simple accidents involving only two vehicles and drivers with minimal injuries may not contain any information you do not already know. However, a police report for a more catastrophic accident, especially an accident involving death, will likely be more detailed and may contain information previously unknown to you.
Reasons to Request a Police Report for a Queen Car Accident
You may have several reasons to request a police report for a car accident. Police reports are official proof that your accident happened and that your injuries and damages are very real. This proof may be necessary when you pursue an insurance claim. It will certainly be necessary if you decide to file a personal injury claim against the other driver. In either circumstance, our Queens car accident lawyers can help.
New York is what is known as a no-fault insurance state. This means that after a car accident in New York, your own insurance will automatically pay for damages up to a specific dollar amount. The basic requirements for no-fault insurance may provide up to $50,000, although different policies may have different limits. Filing an insurance claim usually requires some sort of proof that the accident happened. Your insurance provider will not pay for an accident without any proof that the accident really happened. This is where the police report becomes important. Often, insurance companies demand to see a police report for the accident before making payments.
Unfortunately, insurance policies tend to only cover certain economic damages, like medical bills and property damage to your vehicle. You must file a personal injury lawsuit against the other driver to get other damages, like pain and suffering. A personal injury lawsuit will also require proof of the accident.
While we can use the police report to prepare for your trial, we generally cannot use the report itself as evidence. Instead, we can use the information contained in the report to find admissible evidence. For example, the police who investigated your accident might include the names and addresses of witnesses who saw the accident happen and can testify that the defendant caused the crash.
Call Our Queens Car Accident Attorneys
Getting an accident report from the police after a car accident is not always the easiest task. Our Niagara Falls, NY car accident attorneys can get your accident report quickly. The Brentwood car accident attorneys at The Carrion Law Firm are available for free legal consultation. Call us at (718) 841-0083 for assistance.