People who were injured in motor vehicle accidents such as motorcycle, bus or car accidents , you may need the accident reports for insurance purposes or if you are thinking about filing a personal injury lawsuit. Here are a few tips that could make obtaining these records easier:
Records of motor vehicle accidents are saved at the precinct where the accident happened for 30 days. You may request copies of the records by completing the form, Request for Copy of Collision Record (PD301-165). You must enclose a check or money order for $10.00 with your request, payable to City of New York Police Department. The fee is non-refundable.
After 30 days, accident records are transferred to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles. The form to use for requesting records from this agency is DMV for MV-198C. The fee for obtaining copies of records transferred to the state is $20.00.
Injuries resulting from other types of accidents – slip and falls, work injuries and other types of accidents to which police or emergency personnel responded – can be obtained from NYPD. The form to use for this type of request is PD301-161. These records are known as Aided Reports and a $10.00 fee in required.
The New York City form for traffic accidents is available online at nyc.gov
The New York State form for traffic accidents is available online at ny.gov
The NYPD Aided Reports request form is available online at nyc.gov
Obtaining police reports related to your accident or injury may allow you to identify the names of witnesses and emergency responders and could be an important part of your insurance claim or personal injury lawsuit.