After being injured in a car accident in North Bergen, it is crucial to report the incident to the police immediately. After getting treatment, contact our lawyers for help getting your police crash report.
Police reports typically serve as vital pieces of evidence during insurance claims, even though they are generally inadmissible in a trial. The North Bergen Police Department (NBPD) likely investigated your accident, and their reports can be obtained in person or by mail. Unfortunately, they do not have an online option at this time. You can obtain a report online if the NJ State Police investigated your accident and drafted the report. For accidents on NJ Transit property, the report must be requested from the Transit Police by email, which our lawyers can help prepare and send.
Call Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C. today at (201) 777-1111 for a free case review from our North Bergen car accident attorneys.
Who Can I Get a Police Report from After Getting Injured in a North Bergen, NJ Car Accident
When someone injures you in a car accident, it must be reported to the local police nearby or the state police through the quickest means possible, like calling 911 immediately following the crash, according to N.J.S.A. § 39:4-130. What law enforcement agency you can get your report from will depend on where your accident happened and who responded to it. NBPD usually investigates accidents that happen within township lines, while the NJ State Police draft reports for crashes on major highways and interstates. You might need to get your report from the NJ Transit Police if your accident happened on their property.
Our car accident attorneys in North Bergen can help determine who investigated your accident and how to obtain a crash report from them. Some reports can be obtained online, which is usually the fastest way to get your copy. If that option is unavailable, you can still get a copy by visiting the investigating department in person or requesting the report by mail. Our team can assist you with this and review the report for any mistakes and other evidence that can help your case, like identifying witnesses to the crash.
North Bergen Police Department
For accidents occurring on North Bergen’s surface roads, the NBPD is usually the investigating agency that makes the report. Unfortunately, as of this writing, the NBPD does not have an online option for obtaining its accident report. Instead, accident victims can get their report from the NBPD by visiting its headquarters in person or mailing in a written request.
You can pick up a report in person by visiting the NBPD Records Bureau, which is on the second floor of the North Bergen Township Law & Public Safety building, located at 4233 Kennedy Boulevard, North Bergen, NJ 07047. The Records Bureau is open Monday through Friday, from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm, except for national holidays. Accident reports cost $5.00, but you get two copies per request, and you can pay with cash, debit, or credit card.
You can also obtain your report by mailing a written request to the Records Bureau at the above address. Our team can draft your request so that it includes important details about the accident, including the names of those involved, where the accident occurred, the date and time, and anything else that can expedite your request. The police incident or “CAD” number should also be included, which should be located on the documentation the investigation officer gave you at the scene of the crash if you received any. Our lawyers can determine your CAD number if you are having trouble locating it.
Your report should be available three business days after the accident, but § 39:4-131 does give law enforcement agencies up to five days to file an accident report, so check back in a couple of days if your is not available on the third day from the collision. For instance, accidents involving fatalities or multiple drivers often take a little longer to investigate and prepare a report. Our lawyers will look into the delay if your report is still unavailable after the fifth business day.
NJ State Police
You might need to get your police report from the NJ State Police if your accident occurred on a non-toll highway, like nearby I-95, or toll roads, like the Garden State Parkway or the NJ Turnpike.
Fortunately, State Police accident reports can conveniently be obtained online once it has been approved. Providing the case number and crash date is usually the best way to search for your report. However, you can recover your report with your driver’s license number, license plate number, or the last of a party involved, in addition to the crash date. Reports for accidents on NJ toll roads will cost $5.00, while those for accidents on non-toll roads will cost $13.00.
The exception to this option is when the State Police are investigating an accident involving the death of a party. In these situations, individuals must make an open public records request, which can be completed online here. Reports for fatal crashes typically cost $20.00 since photos, statements, and digital media are usually included.
NJ Transit Police
North Bergen has its fair share of NJ Transit stations. If your accident occurred on its property, the NJ Transit Police likely drafted the report. Perhaps you were rear-ended while dropping someone off at a station or hit by a negligent driver while you were walking to catch a train.
To get these reports, injury victims must email the NJ Transit Records Division at njtpdrecords@njtransit.com. At a minimum, your email request must include the case or event number and a photocopy of your identification but also include your address, phone number, and date of the incident so processing is not unnecessarily delayed.
Call Our North Bergen, NJ Car Accident Lawyers Today for Help Getting Your Police Report and Filing Your Claim
For a free case assessment from our North Bergen personal injury lawyers, call Agrapidis & Maroules, P.C. at (201) 777-1111.