There are regular daily occurrences around Albuquerque involving vehicles. There are calls for ride shares, buses completing their routes, deliveries being made, and folks going off to work, school, or running errands. The other thing that happens daily is car accidents.
The traffic alert presented by ABQRAW provides a snapshot of the daily car accidents. What most of these accidents have in common is that a crash report will be generated. If you’re involved in a collision, you’ll want to find out how to obtain local car accident reports.
Where to Obtain a Crash Report
The New Mexico Department of Transportation maintains a statewide database of “reportable motor vehicle traffic crashes.” The data they collect is a compilation of statistics provided by all responding authorities. Locally, you can obtain a traffic accident or crash report from the Albuquerque Police Department. They have a contract with Carfax to manage and distribute its reports online. Each report is $7.50.
You can also obtain a report in person at the Law Enforcement Center at 400 Roma NW, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Critical Information Found in Your Car Accident Report
When police respond to a car accident, they generate a crash report. This is an important part of their job and requires specific training, starting with thoroughly understanding the Uniform Crash Report Instruction Manual. That report can become an important piece of evidence in an insurance claim.
The following are key information found in your car accident report:
Details of the Accident
The foundation of any crash report is the time, date, and location when the accident occurred. The time of an accident is important because it can reflect certain conditions, such as how bright the roads might be.
When you consider that most crashes occur between 4 p.m. and 7:59 p.m. (according to the National Security Council), the road’s visibility might be a factor. The location can also be necessary because of potentially hazardous traffic patterns.
These are the conditions that help contribute to your version of the event.
Documented Injuries
The crash report will include a section dedicated to Reported Injuries. This is where the details of documented injuries will be presented. Those injuries can be observed, such as cuts, lacerations, and fractures.
This section will also mention if emergency medical technicians responded to the scene and if any injured party needed to be taken away from the ambulance. Although preliminary, this information can establish the time and place where your injuries occurred. The insurance investigators will use this information when assessing your claim.
The Parties Involved
The report will list the contact information of all the motorists involved in the collision. It also will include the same information for the passengers. These details can also provide crucial information, such as if any of the drivers were operating a company vehicle.
Witness Statements
If there were witnesses to the accident, they can support your version of the accident. That includes witnesses who saw a car speeding, distracted driving, or other contributing factors to the accident.
In addition to the contact information, the report can also include the witness’s preliminary statement.
Diagrams & Photos
Although the initial report might be written by hand, that information can be uploaded to an online file. That file can include any photos and diagrams of the accident. Those diagrams can pinpoint tire skid marks, debris, and other structural things. These can help for any subsequent recreation of the accident. These can all be compelling tools to use for your claim.
The entire narrative of the crash report will be presented from the responding officer’s perspective. This will be an objective recount based on the officer’s impressions of the incident.
It will carry substantial weight in your personal injury claim, especially if the officer determines that there is a clear at-fault party. That conclusion could be reached if there was an apparent traffic violation or DUI citation.
Even though the officer’s opinion matters, it is not the final word on what happened. If there is a discrepancy between their version and your version, your attorney will be able to address them in the claim filing.
The attorneys at Barrera Law Group LLC have years of experience analyzing crash reports and using them to achieve successful outcomes for their clients. It’s a good idea to bring a copy of the crash report to your first consultation.