Have you been injured in a motor vehicle accident, pedestrian accident, or similar incident in Massachusetts? Consider meeting with a personal injury lawyer if so. You’re likely eligible to receive financial compensation for your medical bills and related losses. An attorney can play an instrumental role in helping you collect what you’re owed.
The process of working with a lawyer begins with a free initial consultation. To ensure this meeting is productive, it helps to bring certain materials with you.
For example, after an accident, you or someone else involved should have called the police to report it. Thus, you can provide a lawyer with valuable information about your case by bringing a copy of the accident report.
Keep reading if you’re not sure how to acquire one. This overview will cover the basics of requesting an accident report in Massachusetts.
Gather Important Information
You’ll need to provide certain information when requesting an accident report. This includes:
The name of at least one motorist involved in the collision
Information about the vehicles involved in the accident
Your mailing and email addresses
Naturally, if you’re requesting a report for an accident in which you were directly involved, you can provide your own name and information about your own vehicle when making your request. That said, ideally, you also collected information about the identity and vehicle of the other drivers involved in your accident.
Don’t worry if this isn’t the case. Even if you were harmed in a hit-and-run, you can likely still secure financial compensation. Discuss your case with an attorney for more information.
Be Prepared to Pay
The fee for requesting an accident report in Massachusetts is $20.00. Be ready to pay this when making your request.
In Massachusetts, you can easily request an accident report online, as long as the report has been filed and processed by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.
Visit the Accident Report Request Page
In Massachusetts, you can easily request an accident report online, as long as the report has been filed and processed by the Registry of Motor Vehicles. You may do so by visiting this page.
The process of completing your request is fairly straightforward. The site will guide you through each step as you provide the requested information. As long as you’ve gathered the necessary information ahead of time, this task shouldn’t take you very long.
Be Ready to Wait
Once more, a copy of your accident report could be a helpful piece of documentation to bring with you when a lawyer evaluates your case, but you shouldn’t wait for one to arrive before meeting with a lawyer if you don’t receive a copy promptly after making a request. Depending on various factors, it can take up to four weeks for a request to be completely processed. Don’t delay in meeting with a legal professional while you wait to receive a copy of your accident report.
Along with scheduling a meeting with a car accident lawyer, other steps you should (and should NOT) take after requesting an accident report in Massachusetts include:
Getting medical care and heeding all the advice your doctor gives you
Reaching out to witnesses to confirm they may be willing to speak with your lawyer if you got their names and contact information in the immediate aftermath of your accident
Reporting your accident to your insurance company, but refraining from working with them directly until you’ve had time to review your case with a qualified attorney
Avoiding posting about your case on social media or discussing it with anyone other than your lawyer
Your Massachusetts Car Accident Attorney Can Request a Report for You
Hopefully, the information here has proven useful for you. Acquiring a copy of your accident report is a wise step to take while preparing to meet with a lawyer for a case evaluation.
That said, you don’t need to worry if you’ve failed to get a copy of your accident report before meeting with an attorney. Requesting your accident report is a step a lawyer can take on your behalf if you haven’t done so already.
At Swartz & Swartz, P.C., our Boston car accident attorneys are dedicated to helping our clients build the strongest cases possible. Although an accident report can help us better determine what your legal options might be when we initially review your case, if you hire us before securing a copy of the report, we’ll gladly request a copy ourselves. It’s one of the many ways we ease your burdens in the aftermath of a collision. Learn more about how we can help by contacting us online or calling us at (800) 545-3732.
Need Help?
If you or someone you know, needs help from a lawyer, contact the law offices of Swartz & Swartz, use our live chat, or send us a message using the form below and we’ll get in touch to assess your case and how we can help.
About the Author: David W. Faraci
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