In a divorce, the laws of equitable distribution distinguish marital property from separate property. Technically, only marital property, that is, proper...
Because of New Jersey’s unique car insurance system, the way an accident happens can have a significant effect on the outcome of a claim. That’s why the official police accident report, called the New Jersey Police Crash Investigation Report, is so critical.
Insurance companies use this report to determine fault and make decisions regarding claims, and if the investigating officer is called to testify, the report will likely be the basis for the testimony.
You need to understand what your report says – and how to set the record straight if it’s wrong. Here’s how to read it:
New Jersey Police Crash Investigation Report
https://www.nhtsa.gov/sites/nhtsa.dot.gov/files/documents/njtr-1_rev031002sub050706web.pdf
Page 1
The top of the page documents the date, time, and location of the crash, as well as the investigating police department and case number.
Click here to download a printable PDF of How to Read Your New Jersey Car Accident Report.
The boxes on the left and right correspond to codes on the code overlay. These codes document the conditions, crash type, vehicle type, and other important details. If “99” appears anywhere in these boxes, check the narrative for an explanation.
In the center of the page, the vehicles are described, including the driver, the owner, and the make, model, and identification number of the vehicle itself.
The crash diagram should include each vehicle’s location and direction of travel, as well as skid marks and other details from the scene. On the left and right of the diagram, the officer documents any drug and alcohol tests, as well as some additional information for commercial vehicles.
The written crash description is the officer’s brief overview of what happened.
The final section has information on everyone involved in the crash, including names and addresses, role (driver, passenger, pedestrian, etc.), whether they were injured and if so, where they received treatment.
Page 2
The list of involved people continues from the previous page, if necessary.
The investigating officer’s diagram of the crash should include the vehicles, direction of travel, number of lanes, and any other visual evidence (such as skid marks).
Below the sketch, the investigating officer writes in a narrative of how the accident happened.
Review this carefully, as it may contain additional details not mentioned previously.
