How Can I Get A Car Accident Report In Long Island?

When police officers respond to your Long Island traffic collision, they file a report detailing what happened, what caused the crash, and if either driver violated traffic laws. You can get a copy of this report following your collision by:

• Contacting the officer who filed the report if they gave you their information
• Following the process set by the law enforcement agency
• Working with a personal injury attorney who will handle this for you

How to get Your Report Depends on the Responding Agency

Before you can request a copy of the report police filed from the scene of your injury collision, you need to know what agency responded to your crash. You can then follow their process for requesting the documents.

Nassau County Police Department

You can order a copy of your report filed by the Nassau County Police Department online for $27.

Alternatively, you can visit the police department Monday through Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. The cost to pick up a copy in person is $25. The address is:

1490 Franklin Avenue

Mineola, NY

Suffolk County Police Department

The Suffolk County Police Department partners with BuyCrash.com to offer access to police reports online. The cost is the same as a Nassau County crash report.

You can also request a copy in person by visiting the Suffolk County Police headquarters. This address is:

30 Yaphank Ave.

Yaphank, NY 11980

To get your report, you may need to know details that include:

• Your driver’s license number
• The license plate on your vehicle
• Your date of birth

New York State Police or Local Police Departments

You may be able to get a copy of your police report from the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) regardless of who responded to your collision. This includes many of the village police departments serving Long Island and New York State Police.

These reports are available for searching, buying, and downloading online. There are fees for both searching and purchasing the reports. They include:

• $7 search fee
• $15 to download the report

If you cannot find your report through this search 30 days after your accident, you will need to contact the local police department or use the contact information the responding officers gave you to learn more.

What Role Does a Collision Report Play in My Insurance Claim?

The reports troopers or other officers file after responding to a collision are often essential to proving fault and liability. This is key in recovering compensation through an insurance claim or lawsuit.

Ways a police report could help support your claim include:

• Indicate exactly what happened and who is responsible
• Help an accident reconstruction team do its investigation
• Identify witnesses and others involved
• Provide additional evidence including statements to show fault

If you work with an attorney, they can look at this report during your initial case evaluation if you have it available. If not, they will talk to you about what happened and request and obtain the documents if you decide to work together to file your claim.

There may also be information you need in the police report to file your no-fault claim based on your Personal Injury Protection (PIP) insurance coverage.

Most Car Collision Attorneys Provide Free Case Evaluations so that You Can Learn More

You can speak with a personal injury law firm on Long Island about your case for free. A lawyer from our firm may be able to file an insurance claim based on the at-fault driver’s liability coverage and seek compensation for you under some circumstances.

Personal injury attorneys generally discuss their services and the details of a crash case with victims for free. You can learn your legal options for pursuing a payout during this consultation. You may be able to recover money beyond what would be available through your no-fault insurance by holding the at-fault driver accountable. This could include:

• Medical costs
• Lost income
• Future expenses and losses
• Pain and suffering damages

If an insurance claim does not lead to a negotiated settlement with the insurer, your attorney may need to take the case to trial. There are deadlines for starting this process, and missing them could endanger your right to hold the other driver responsible. Take the next step as soon as possible and reach out to discuss your case with an attorney.