We understand that a commercial truck accident can be a frightening and chaotic experience to endure. What matters most, however, is that you seek the medical attention you need following an accident.
- Read more about Louisiana personal injury truck accident cases.
After you’ve obtained the care that you need, it’s time to gather up all the facts. That includes the accident report. Your New Orleans truck accident attorneys at the Cardone Law Firm want to help you by giving you the lowdown on how to get one.
Consider the following information for obtaining your accident report. This is a vital document you will need if you want to have a chance of receiving the recovery you deserve.
What is an accident report?
When you are involved in a commercial truck accident, a police officer will be dispatched to the scene. There, the officer will investigate and gather all of the information from both parties regarding the cause of the crash. This in-depth information is recorded so that it can be documented later in the report, which consists of:
- Names and other relevant information of the drivers involved
- Drivers’ license numbers
- Types of vehicles involved
- Cause of the accident according to the officers on the scene
- Insurance information
- Contact information
The officer will go back to their respective agency, and after several days of preparation, the accident report will be ready for pick up. The timeline, however, does differ depending on the law enforcement agency responsible for generating the report, and the accident report does come with a cost.
Why do I need an accident report?
First, you need the accident report to file an insurance claim. The accident report is what insurance companies need in order to determine who the responsible party is.
Additionally, should you decide to pursue a truck accident claim against the other driver or the trucking company, it is absolutely imperative that you obtain this report. If you have this strong piece of evidence as part of your arsenal for the litigation—coupled with experienced New Orleans truck accident attorneys like the ones at the Cardone Law Firm—you may increase your chances of winning compensation to help cover the damages.
Keep in mind, however, that the accident report isn’t the end all, in terms of evidence, but it is better to have it rather than to lack it.
How to obtain an accident report.
There are several ways that you can obtain your copy of the accident report. Normally, the officer at the scene of the accident will inform you when and where the accident report can be acquired.
It does, as stated earlier, come with a cost depending on the agency that drafted the report.
To get your copy after the standard waiting period, you should:
- In most cases, the victim of the accident can go to the office of the law enforcement agency that drafted the report to purchase a copy in person. If that isn’t an option, the agency may be able to mail you the copy once a payment has been made. Receiving it by mail is a possibility through the New Orleans PD.
- You can pay for and obtain it online, depending on the law enforcement agency that drafted the report. In most cases, the victim of an accident will only be able to use a solitary database to find and purchase their report from sources like Buy Crash, Lexis Nexis, or the Louisiana State Troopers’ website. For instance, if the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office generated an accident report for accidents in Metairie or other Jefferson Parish cities, it can be obtained on buycrash.com. Not all jurisdictions’ reports, however, can be found in an online database.
- Check the paperwork the officer leaves you with after the accident investigation has concluded. Normally, it should detail not only your and the other driver’s information, but it should also detail how and when the police report can be obtained.
Once you’ve obtained your copy of the accident report, enlist the trusted truck accident attorneys of the Cardone Law Firm to fight for your rights.
Cliff Cardone has over 40 years of experience taking on trucking companies and their drivers who have that acted negligently and caused accidents that shatter lives. We are the light at the end of the tunnel for many families. You don’t have to fight this battle alone.