When you hire a car accident attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada to help you file and negotiate a car accident claim, the lawyer will start by analyzing the circumstances of the accident. This is necessary because you have to prove:
- that the other driver was responsible for your injuries and economic losses,
- that they were more than 50% at fault for the crash.
During this investigation, the attorney will need to rely on solid evidence, not only your statement. And one of the most important pieces of evidence is the accident report prepared by one of the Las Vegas police departments or the Nevada Highway Patrol. An experienced attorney at the Christian Morris Trial Attorneys law firm will explain to you in this article how to obtain your car accident report.
First Thing to Do: Know Who Investigated Your Car Crash in Las Vegas
Las Vegas injury attorneys know that a lot of details are hazy during the first moments after a car crash. Shock and physical pain may render you unable everything happening around you. In many cases, accident victims are not aware that one of three authorities may send a team to investigate the crash in Las Vegas after a 9-1-1 call:
- Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
- North Las Vegas Police Department
- Nevada Highway Patrol.
These authorities operate independently and do not share files between each other. Moreover, each of them asks you to fill in different kinds of data in the application for the accident report.
For this reason, your car accident attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada will ask you for the “tape” – the receipt you received after the law enforcement team finished the investigation. This receipt states which authority investigating the accident.
1. How to Obtain an Accident Report from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department
You have three options for receiving an accident report prepared by LVMP police officers: online, in mail or in person. Here is what you have to do:
File an Online Application for the Report
The most convenient way of getting hold of an accident report is filing an online application. You can do this within 48 to 72 hours after your accident and include the following:
- $11.00 fee paid by debit or credit card
- Email address
- Phone number with area code
- Event number or date, time and location of the accident (this information is in the receipt issued at the accident scene).
Receive the Accident Report in Mail
You can also download the application form, fill it in by hand and mail it to the following address:
Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Attn: Correspondence Section, 400 S. Martin Luther King Boulevard, Building C, Las Vegas, NV 89106.
Your car accident attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada will instruct you to include the following required information:
- $11.00 fee paid by money order or cashier’s check
- Mailing address with Zip code
- Notarized photocopy of a current, valid government photo ID
- Email address
- Phone number with area code
- Event number or date, time and place where the crash occurred.
Obtaining the Report in Person
You may specify that you want to pick up your accident in person in your mail-in application form. Within 30 days of being notified that the report is ready, you can go with your valid government photo ID to the area command center and obtain the accident report.
2. How to Obtain an Accident Report from the North Las Vegas Police Department
Las Vegas injury attorneys know that the procedure for obtaining a report from NLVPD is a little different from the one required by the LVMPD. Here is what you need to know:
Obtaining the Accident Report Online
You will have to fill in the online request form, including the following information:
- The state and jurisdiction of the accident location
- The report number, the last name and date (or street) on the report.
Getting the Report in Mail
After downloading and filling in the request form, you can mail it to NLVPF together with:
- Notarized letter including the accident details and the report number from the receipt
- Photocopy of current and valid government photo ID
- Self-addressed and stamped envelope.
Picking Up the Report in Person
When you are notified that your accident report is ready, you can also go to NLVPD with your ID at the address:
2266 Civic Center Drive, North Las Vegas, Nevada, 89030.
3. How to Obtain an Accident Report from the Nevada Highway Patrol
NHP issues accident reports only online or in person. You can submit an online application after 1-2 weeks after the accident. You must also include a $10 fee paid by debit or credit card.
If you want to collect the accident report in person, bring your valid government photo ID to:
4615 Sunset Road, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89118
The Simplest Solution: Let Your Attorney Obtain the Accident Report
The steps presented above can be difficult to complete on your own. Family members may not have access to your ID and email address to fill in an online application. However, your car accident attorney in Las Vegas, Nevada becomes your official representative as soon as you hire them.
Any lawyer can go to various authorities and request official documents on behalf of their clients. Also, personal injury attorneys in Las Vegas will pay any necessary fees and add them to your insurance claim as economic damages (pocket expenses).
Thus, you can focus on getting better and following recommended treatments, while your attorney takes care of all the necessary steps and procedures for preparing, filing and negotiating your personal injury claim.
Hire a Top Car Accident Law Firm in Las Vegas!
At Christian Morris Trial Attorneys law firm, we believe that everyone deserves professional legal representation in a personal injury claim. We know that you are facing a long and painful recovery after your car accident. For your family, the fear and uncertainty are doubled by the mounting medical care bills, while your wages stop coming in.
This is why we decided to become the best Las Vegas injury attorneys – to make sure that every family is protected from debt and financial hardships if a family member is injured in a car crash by someone else’s negligence.
We work on a contingency fee basis, so you afford the best legal advice in Las Vegas no matter what. Call us now to schedule a free case review: (702) 434-8282!
