Not all accidents generate accident reports. But when you are involved in an accident where someone is injured, or where property damage is $1,001 or more, the law requires that an accident report be filed. In the case of an injury or death, the police must be contacted. So, if you were involved in an accident where you were hurt, after a specified amount of time – based on various criteria – your car accident report should be available to you for a fee.
The nice thing about getting your car accident report is that you can do it all online now. There is still a fee and a process that you must go through, but you can get your report from any computer with an internet connection.
Please keep in mind that if you were in an accident caused by someone else, and you were hurt, it is always worthwhile to speak to an attorney to learn about your legal options. The team at the Ivan Diamond Bronx Personal Injury Attorney is here to answer your questions and guide you through the legal process, and help you obtain compensation for your injuries.
Accident Report Rules In New York
Property Damage Only ($1,000 or less)
When you are involved in an accident in the Bronx and in New York in general, state law requires that you stop and exchange information with all the drivers involved in the accident. If the accident caused property damage of $1,000 or less, and no injuries, then the law states that you only need to exchange information about your license, registration and insurance. No accident report must be filed in this situation.
Damage To A Parked Vehicle, Property Or Domestic Animal
If you are driving and hit a parked car, other property or a domestic animal and the owner of the damaged property is not present, you are required to find the other driver or contact the police.
Property Damage Only ($1,001 or more)
When the damage caused in the accident is $1,001 or more, every driver involved must file a Report of Motor Vehicle Accident. Failure to file the report withing 10 days can lead the suspension of your license.
Personal Injury Or Death
Whenever someone is injured or killed in an accident, you are required by law to notify the police. All drivers and the police are all required to file an accident report.
Obtaining Your Report
If you were involved in an accident where a report was filed, you can obtain your report from the state on the New York State DMV website. Every driver involved in an accident will have a report in their file, even if they were not responsible for the accident.
Processing Times
You will only be able to get your report after it has been processed by the DMV. The processing times for reports filed by the police are as follows:
- Accidents in the five boroughs – 120 days from the date of the accident
- Accidents outside of the five boroughs filed on paper forms – 30 days from the date of the accident
- Accidents outside of the five boroughs filed electronically – 14 days from the date of the accident
If the accident report was not filed by the police, and instead filed by the driver or drivers anywhere in the state, it will usually take 60 days or more to process.
Requesting The Report
The Order and Access Motor Vehicle Accident Reports form on the DMV website is where you can both search for your accident report and order a PDF version that you can download and print from your computer. You can also order a copy by mail using the Request For Copy of Accident Report form.
You can search to see if your report is available yet at no cost, as long as you only use the county and date options for the search. Once you put in the date of your accident and the county it occurred in, you will see a list of available reports. Once you select an accident report from the list, or if you search using an accident case number, vehicle plate number or driver license number, you will be charged $7 for the search. If the report is not processed and available yet, the search will be free.
Actually getting the PDF of the accident report will cost an additional $15. When you choose to order your report through the mail, there is a $10 fee for the search and a $15 fee for the actual report.
Talk To A Bronx Accident Attorney Today
If you have been hurt in an accident, please contact the Ivan Diamond Bronx Personal Injury Attorney and tell us your story. Our firm is ready to help you pursue a winning personal injury case – and we charge you nothing unless you win. Contact us now to learn more.
