If you plan to pursue compensation through an insurance claim or move forward with legal action after a Lafayette, LA, car accident, you will likely need to obtain a copy of the police report. This will require you to determine who responded to your accident and follow their directions for getting a copy. This could be the:
- Lafayette Police Department
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Department
- Louisiana State Police
If you work with a Morris Bart car accident attorney, they will likely take care of requesting and getting a copy of your police report for you.
How do I Request a Report from a Local Law Enforcement Agency?
You can request a copy of your crash report in person or online for accidents involving local law enforcement agencies in Lafayette. This includes the:
- Lafayette Police Department
- Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office
Obtain Your Documents from the Lafayette Police Department
You can get a copy of your traffic accident report by visiting the Lafayette Police Department during regular business hours. The address is 900 E. University Avenue.
Costs for police reports and related paperwork include:
- Police report: $7.50
- Witness statements: $1 each
- Initial incident report: $7
Get a Report Filed by the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office
The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Department offers in-person requests as well. The Records Department is located at:
303 W. Vermilion Street
Lafayette, LA 70501
Record requests are accepted:
- Monday to Thursday from 7:30 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.
- Friday from 8 a.m. to 11:45 a.m.
Each report is $8 and is available a week to 10 days after a collision. You can reach the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Records Department by calling (337) 236-5845.
Order Your Copy from Either Agency Online
Both the Lafayette Police Department and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office have reports available via the LexisNexis Crash Reports portal. To access your document online, you will need to pay the fee online and enter information that includes:
- The date of the report
- The report number
- Where the accident occurred
- Your last name
For a free legal consultation, call (337) 446-4571
Getting Your Report Filed by the Louisiana State Police (LSP)
You can request documents filed by a member of the Louisiana State Police online. Its web portal provides access to request reports within 15 days of a collision in most cases. You will need to pay $11.50 with a credit or debit card and also enter information that includes:
- Your case number; or
- Your name, location of the crash, and date of the report
In some cases, your file may be downloaded immediately, or it could take up to a week to receive the file via email, depending on how long the request takes to process.
Police Reports Provide Essential Information for Your Insurance Claim
Accident reports that the police file after a collision include details about:
- Parties involved in the accident
- The insurance companies representing each driver
- The vehicles in the accident
- What officers believe happened
- What witnesses saw
- If anyone received a ticket because of the crash
If the other driver caused the accident and the responding officers agree, this will be evident in the police report. It will also provide essential information, such as the insurance company that represents them and the identity of witnesses.
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A Lawyer Can Get Your Accident Report and Collect Other Evidence
If you work with a law firm to file your insurance claim and seek compensation, they will request your police report for you. They will also gather additional evidence to support your case. This may make it easier to prove to the insurance company that their policyholder was negligent and is legally liable for your damages.
Additional evidence will depend on the specifics of your case. Typically, however, accident lawyers use the following as they build their cases to prove negligence:
- Medical records, doctor’s notes
- Witness testimony (including accounts from friends and family)
- Expert witness testimony
- Photos of the accident scene or accident injuries
- Video footage of the accident (e.g., cellphone videos, dashcam footage, surveillance footage from nearby businesses or homes)
- Personal journal entries that detail your recovery experiences
Recoverable Damages in a Lafayette Car Accident
The recoverable losses and costs in a car accident claim could vary but frequently include:
- Medical expenses and future treatment costs
- Lost income and diminished earning capacity
- Property damages, such as car repairs
- Out-of-pocket expenses
- Pain and suffering and other non-economic damages
Wrongful Death Damages
Family members may be able to recover wrongful death damages after a fatal car accident in Lafayette, as well. A wrongful death attorney could pursue this financial compensation, which would cover:
- Funeral and burial expenses
- The medical bills the decedent incurred before their death
- Loss of household income the decedent would have earned
- Loss of companionship
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Other intangible losses from the accident
An accident lawyer from our firm can explain the legal process of these actions in Louisiana during a free consultation.
Louisiana Sets a Deadline for Injury Lawsuits
You must act quickly after your injuries are stable. Louisiana law gives most automobile accident victims only one year to name the at-fault driver as a defendant in a personal injury lawsuit. Some people have even less time based on the facts of their case. You can reach out to an auto accident attorney for guidance on pursuing a lawsuit.
Louisiana generally gives injured parties one year from the accident date to pursue legal action against negligent parties, per La. Civ. Code Art. 3492. Parties who wish to file a wrongful death lawsuit also have a year from the decedent’s death date to do so, as La. Civ. Code. Art. 2315.2 outlines.
Talk to a Morris Bart, LLC, Attorney About Your Case Today
You can discuss your case with an attorney from the Morris Bart law office in Lafayette today for free. We offer complimentary consultations for victims of traffic accidents near our Lafayette, LA, location.
Our contingency fee law firm represents people like you who need help pursuing monetary compensation for their related injuries and losses.
Questions?Call (337) 446-4571
to find a Morris Bart office near you.
