Getting a police report is an important step towards successfully recovering compensation. While the report detailing your crash isn’t evidence, it gives our attorneys vital context and information. Getting the report can be difficult for many injured victims, and we’re available to help you obtain it.
You may obtain the police report in person or online, or request it by email, mail, or fax from the Fort Lee Police Department. In addition to helping you get the report, we can review it with you to see if any information is inaccurate or misleading. The police report can help us obtain eyewitness testimony and other important evidence, which is crucial to your case.
Call Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C. today at (201) 777-1111 for a free and confidential case review from our Fort Lee, NJ car accident lawyers.
How Do You Get a Police Report After a Car Accident in Fort Lee, NJ?
There are multiple methods of obtaining a police report after a car accident in Fort Lee, any of which our lawyers can assist you with.
In Person
Anyone involved in a car accident in Fort Lee can go to the Records Bureau of the Fort Lee Police Department, Monday through Friday, between 9:00 in the morning and 3:45 in the afternoon.
The Records Bureau is closed to the public on holidays and weekends, so keep that in mind if you plan to get the report in person.
Online
Police officers finish crash reports and send them to CrashDocs.org. When you visit the website, you must enter the report number, your last name, and the collision date. The site will then search for and, if available, locate your report for download at a small fee.
Email, Mail, or Fax
You can also get the police report emailed, physically mailed, or faxed to you by sending a mailed request to the Records Bureau. If the information submitted with the request is inaccurate, the Fort Lee Police Department may be unable to locate your report, and you may have to get it another way.
With an Attorney’s Help
New Jersey permits car accident lawyers representing victims to get accident reports on their behalf from the police. If you are too injured to get the report and are recovering in the hospital or at home, we can get it for you and see how it may help your case.
How Can You Use a Police Report After a Car Accident?
Although police reports are not admissible as evidence in New Jersey lawsuits, they are still very helpful to our lawyers when preparing compensation claims after car accidents.
Identify Eyewitnesses
Officers may talk to any eyewitnesses still at the scene when they arrive. If they do, law enforcement should write the eyewitnesses’ names and contact information down in the report. Obtaining the report and identifying eyewitnesses simplifies our ability to interview them about the accident.
Determine Primary and Contributing Factors
The police report should also note all suspected primary and contributing factors to the collision, such as bad weather, excessive speed, distracted driving, brake defects, or running a stoplight.
Confirm Basic Facts
The police report also helps us confirm the basic facts of the collision, such as who was involved, the date, location, and time of the collision, and the immediate aftermath.
FAQs About Getting a Police Report After a Car Accident
How Long Does it Take the Police to Finish a Car Accident Report?
Police departments throughout New Jersey must finish police reports and make them available within five days. If your report is not available within that timeframe, please let our lawyers know, and we can contact the Fort Lee Police Department on your behalf.
What if a Police Report for a Car Accident is Inaccurate?
We can read the accident report with you to uncover any inaccuracies that could compromise your claim if left uncorrected, such as an incorrect injury or speed attributed to you.
Should You Get the Police Report if it’s Inadmissible in Your Car Accident Case?
You should get the police report, even if it’s inadmissible in your car accident lawsuit in New Jersey, because we can use it to deepen our understanding of the collision, its participants, fallout, and eyewitnesses.
Does it Cost Money to Get a Police Report After a Car Accident?
Getting a police report in person from the Fort Lee Police Department generally costs five dollars. Downloading reports from CrashDocs.org may come with additional fees, so keep that in mind.
When Should You Get a Police Report?
Our Fort Lee, NJ car accident lawyers can prioritize obtaining the police report for your accident as soon as it becomes available so we can assess its importance to your case, address any incorrect information, and determine how best to use the report and all its information.
Can You Get a Car Accident Report if You Don’t Call the Police?
If the police aren’t called to the scene and do not respond to the accident, there will be no police report for us to obtain and use. Drivers who don’t call 911 may have to self-report to the New Jersey Department of Transportation. While this also helps document the accident, it is not nearly as beneficial to your compensation claim as calling the police and having law enforcement document the scene.
What if You Don’t Get a Police Report After a Car Accident?
If a police report is inaccurate unbeknownst to you, the negligent driver might try to use it to their advantage and reduce the compensation they owe you. Not getting the police report can also mean missing out on testimony from eyewitnesses you couldn’t speak to after the accident.
Call Our Lawyers in Fort Lee, NJ After a Car Accident
Call Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C. at (201) 777-1111 for help with your case from our Fort Lee, NJ personal injury lawyers.