After a car accident, a police report can be extremely helpful. Your lawyer and your insurance company might request copies of the report. This report contains valuable information about who was involved in your accident and what the police think happened.
To get a copy of the police report from your crash, you can usually contact the Lakewood police department or get a copy online. If you have trouble getting a copy of your report, your attorney may be able to help.
For help with a car accident case, contact the NJ car accident lawyers at Legal Care New Jersey. Our attorneys offer free case consultations. Contact us today at (732) 838-9769.
Getting a Police Report Through BuyCrash.com in Lakewood, NJ
The Lakewood Police website recommends that people seeking crash reports get a copy online through LexisNexis’ BuyCrash (formerly known as LexisNexis Police Reports). On that site, you can run a search for your police report using at least one of the following pieces of basic information: your name, the location of the accident, or the report number.
Copies of your report can then be ordered through that portal, saved, downloaded, and printed. Getting your police report online is probably the fastest and easiest way to get a copy.
Getting a Police Report Through Crashdocs.org in Lakewood, NJ
Lakewood also uses another system provided through Carfax called Crashdocs. To get your report through Crashdocs, you need the report number, your last name, and the date of the accident. Using that info, you can also order and download copies of the police report. This system is also quite fast.
Requesting a Police Report from the Lakewood Police Department
It is possible to get a copy of your police report directly from the Lakewood police department by contacting their records department. According to their website, you can simply email them at records@lakewoodpolicenj.com with a request for the documents, a copy of your photo ID, and a phone number they can use to reach you. You can alternatively mail the request to the following mailing address:
Lakewood Police Department
PO Box 540
Lakewood, NJ 08701
Typically, police reports can also be requested in person at the police department from 9:30am to 4:45pm. However, at the time of this writing, the Lakewood PD website says that they are closed because of COVID and that people seeking reports should email them instead. When they reopen, their address is as follows:
Lakewood Police Department
231 3rd Street
Lakewood, NJ 08701
Who Can Get a Police Report for a Lakewood, NJ Car Accident?
Typically, the driver or anyone else involved in the crash should be the one to retrieve a police report. Of course, many people are not very comfortable with computers and may get help with retrieving the report.
Your attorney may be able to get a report on your behalf, but it is quite common that your attorney will ask you to get a copy yourself. The same is true for your insurance company, if they request a copy of the report.
Police reports for car accidents are technically public records, but they are not commonly retrieved by people unrelated to the accident.
Can You Get a Police Report for a Lakewood Car Accident Without Going Online?
For many people, accessing a police report online just isn’t an option. If you do not have access to a computer and a printer, you may be able to go to your local library to get online and print copies of your crash report. However, you may also try to get a police report in person or via mail.
The Lakewood Police Department does offer police reports in person (COVID notwithstanding). You can also send a request by mail or call the Lakewood PD to request a paper copy. Paper copies typically cost a bit more than online copies because of the printing and paper costs, so be prepared for that expense.
What’s in a Crash Report from the Lakewood Police?
Police reports or crash reports contain a trove of information that can help you with your car accident case. Especially if your injuries were severe enough that you had to leave the scene of the accident in an ambulance, you could be left without information. Your Lakewood car accident lawyer will typically recommend getting a police report to start filling in some of the basic information about your case.
First and foremost, the police report is good evidence that the accident happened. Drivers may attempt to challenge car accident claims entirely by denying that there was actually a collision or claiming that the victim actually crashes into a stationary object rather than their car. With a police report, you have a police officer’s statement that yes, a crash happened as well as information about the who, what, when, and where of your accident.
Police reports list all people involved in the accident, including drivers, passengers, other victims, and any potential witnesses who gave a statement at the scene. This can help you figure out whom to sue and who to contact as eyewitnesses. The report also states what cars were involved, when the accident took place, and where the crash occurred. It may also have information about the weather and lighting conditions, which can help you refresh your memory of what happened and build a concrete story of what happened.
Call Our Lakewood, NJ Car Accident Lawyers Today
If you were injured in a car crash or someone in your family was hit by a car, call Legal Care today. Our Lakewood car accident attorneys offer free case reviews to help new clients with their case. Call (732) 838-9769 today.
