If your accident occurred in Carlsbad, New Mexico, there are several ways you can request your report, including online, by mail, or in person.
Car accidents, whether minor fender-benders or major collisions, can be a stressful and overwhelming experience for everyone.
If you’re injured and plan to pursue a personal injury claim, securing the official accident report is essential.
It can confirm important details of the collision and help in processing your insurance claim and potential litigation.
A Carlsbad police report provides:
- A factual account of the accident,
- Involved parties contacts,
- Insurance information,
- Vehicle VIN and license plate,
- Type and location of damage, and
- Witness statements.
Your Carlsbad police report also includes observations of the responding officer and their thoughts on who is at fault for the collision.
Understanding how to obtain your accident report in Carlsbad is important. However, if you are having issues, contact the experienced team of New Mexico car accident lawyers at Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C. Our team can help you with the process.
In the meantime, read on to learn more about the different ways you can request a copy of your accident report.
Requesting a Carlsbad Police Report Online
The Records Division of the City of Carlsbad is where you can request an accident report. This department handles various public records related to law enforcement.
To put in a request online, you must open the web portal site to make a new public records request. A new page will open that prompts you to fill out information.
You must enter a good description that explains exactly what you are looking for and details that help the person locate your request. For example:
- The report number you were given at the accident scene;
- Involved party names;
- Time, date, and location of the accident; and
- Vehicle information.
The more information you can provide, the better. You will also need to enter all your contact information and upload any documentation you have. The website does not estimate how long it will take for the department to respond, but a general timeframe for a response is often 15 business days.
Requesting an Accident Report Through the New Mexico Department of Public Safety
The New Mexico Department of Public Safety maintains crash reports from the New Mexico State Police and the Motor Transport Police Department for five years after an accident. If someone died in the collision, they maintain the police report for 20 years.
If you use this option, you can make an online request through the Public Records Center. You will need to create an account and log in first. Alternatively, you can also email, mail, or fax your request.
Going in person would require you to travel to Santa Fe. This option isn’t necessary and will likely only appeal to those who live in or near Santa Fe and just happened to be involved in an accident in Carlsbad.
It’s important to note that payment for your report cannot be made online or over the phone. You’ll need to go in person with cash, check, money order, or credit card, or you can send cash, check, or money order to:
New Mexico Department of Public Safety
Attn: IPRA
P.O. Box 1628
Santa Fe, NM
If you are sending cash, you must send the exact amount, as the government will not send you any refund back.
Requesting a Report Through the Sheriff’s Department
Did your accident report involve the Eddy County Sheriff’s Department? You will need to request your accident report through its Records Department. You can contact them at 575-887-7551 or email the Records Supervisor at dawn@co.eddy.mn.us instead.
The physical location of the Sheriff’s Office in Eddy County is:
Eddy County Sheriff’s Complex
1502 Corrales Dr.
Carlsbad, NM 88200
The office hours are Monday through Friday from 8 AM until 4 PM, if you prefer to visit in person to request a copy of your accident report.
The Importance of Obtaining a Carlsbad Police Report
An accident report is more than just a written account of your unfortunate luck to be involved in a collision. It’s a solid piece of evidence that can impact your personal injury claim and help you prove liability against one or more other parties. Obtaining your police report is essential because it:
- Helps provide a foundation for your legal action. If your accident leads to a legal dispute, the police report is an unbiased record from a third-party authority, which can be indispensable when building a solid case.
- Provides support for your insurance claims. Insurance companies rely heavily on police reports when determining the validity of a claim—even when pursuing a claim under your own policy. Some insurers require accident reports, even to process a claim for medical payments or collision coverage.
- Supports your claim for injury compensation. If you suffered injuries in the accident, the other driver’s insurance will want proof that the accident led to the severity of the injuries you allege. The police report will document any objective injuries the officer saw or pain complaints you expressed to them at the scene.
The more serious your injuries are, the more critical your accident report might become. Insurance companies are always looking for ways to minimize payout for bodily injury claims.
You need all the evidence you can obtain to help establish the severity of the impact and your injuries. It’s much harder for an insurance company to successfully argue against objective injuries that the officer noted in the report.
While the aftermath of an accident can be chaotic and distressing, it’s imperative to remain calm at the scene and focus on giving the responding officer all pertinent information. You never know which tiny detail might become an essential piece of evidence in your subsequent liability claim.
Contact a Carlsbad Car Accident Lawyer at Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C.
If you or a loved one sustained injuries in a Carlsbad car accident, the experienced legal team at Tawney, Acosta & Chaparro P.C. stands ready to help. We have decades of combined experience and know what it takes to build a solid case for personal injury claims in New Mexico.
When you retain our firm, we can also request your Carlsbad police report. Contact our office to schedule an initial consultation to learn how we can assist.
Daisy Chaparro
Daisy Chaparro was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. A graduate from El Dorado High School in 2008 and obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in Philosophy from St. Mary’s University in 2012. Daisy then obtained her Juris Doctorate (magna cum laude) from Texas Tech University School of Law in 2015.
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