Understanding the MV-104 Accident Report

Understanding the MV-104 Accident Report

Understanding the MV-104 Accident Report

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The New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law requires all drivers to file their own MV-104 accident report within any vehicular accident case involving over $1,000 of property damage to at least one of the parties, including yourself. Part of what makes the MV-104 accident report form so complicated is that everyone must file this form within 10 days of the accident’s occurrence, as well as report the following:

  • Whether or not the accident only caused property damage. This will include reporting information involving the personal exchange of your driver’s license, registration and insurance information with the other drivers involved in the accident.
  • Whether or not any parked vehicles or other property was damaged due to the events of the accident. This also includes any information about a domestic animal being injured and the animal’s owner information.
  • Whether or not the property damage to any party involved in the accident exceeded $1,000 or more, and if this is the case then this is really where the MV-104 form comes to play. It’s important to know that the DMV can suspend your license if you don’t file an MV-104 form within 10 days after the day of the accident.
  • It is always legally required to immediately notify the police in the situation that someone was injured or even killed in a vehicular accident, and the drivers and the police will be required to file a report to the DMV.

There’s no doubt about it that properly filling out the MV-104 form can be very complicated, which is sometimes due to the vast amount of abbreviations, codes, and symbols that many people simply have never seen before on any other government forms.

We’re here to help you get through all the confusion through this article that entails an entire guide to reading and filling out the MV-104 accident report form. A lot of people don’t realize just how important it is to fill this form out correctly, and the information that you’ll include in the MV-104 form could potentially play a significant factor in determining how much money in damages you’ll end up receiving for any accident situation.

Insurance companies are always going to be examining every word you put in the MV-104 form, so it’s always best to team up with an experienced New York car accident lawyer so they can’t dictate what ends up happening with your case. Help yourself take back the control in these types of unfortunate situations and always feel free to contact us right away with any questions or concerns you may have about filling out your MV-104 form.

Filling out the MV-104 Accident Report

Page 1

One of the main things everyone must fully understand about the MV-104 form is that the intricate details are always going to matter a lot. You aren’t going to want to give insurance companies any kind of reasoning to deny your claim, which is a lot easier said than done.

You’re going to need to ensure that all the accident report information is 100% accurate, which includes your personal information on Page 1. You’ll have to provide things like your driver’s license number, name, address and the exact time and date of your vehicular accident.

Number Injured

This is something that you’ll have to pay close attention to when it comes to the number that has been written within this box by the police officer who is investigating your accident. The box itself is pretty straightforward in that it entails the number of injured individuals from your accident, but you’ll want to ensure that this number is 100% correct because insurance companies may begin questioning you to see if you or any other people were actually injured if there are any discrepancies between these boxes in other MV-104 forms.

Types of Injuries Involved

This is a really important section of the MV-104 report because it will contain the specific injury information that occurred as a result of the accident. This section tends to be a little bit complicated to fill out because there are codes for rows 14-16 in this box that entail the physical location of the injuries, type of injuries and severity of injuries, respectively.

There is a good chance that your investigating police office may help you with notes for this section, and you can also always find the specific code information for this box on Page 2.

Boxes 19-24

These boxes on the right side of Page 1 entail information about the overall cause of the accident, and there are several different codes that can be found on Page 2 that can help you fill this section out correctly. There may be notes left by your investigating officer that you could use to help you fill this section out as well.

This is one of the main sections that insurance companies will be reviewing in order to determine how much accident victims will be compensated, so you’re going to want to make sure you are completely agreeing with your investigating officer’s overall assessment of the accident.

If you have any reason to not agree with the officer’s assessment then you should contact us immediately so we can help you set the record straight and get your rightful compensation.

Pages 2 and 3

Most of the boxes within Page 1 require special numeric codes, and so Pages 2 and 3 entail codes for Page 1. The meanings for these codes will also be found on this page, and there’s no denying that it can become really complicated to correctly match up the right codes for each box.

This is one of the many reasons why it’s best to have an experienced auto accident attorney to help you fill out these forms. We know exactly how to read these reports and will be on your side to help you better understand how you can utilize the MV-104 accident report form to build a stronger case.

Page 4: Types of Injuries Codes

Similar information will also be found on Page 2, but this page helps to explain the intricate details of the injury codes that you’ll need to fill out rows 14-16 on Page 1. This page tends to go into much more detail than Page 2 in terms of the various types of injuries that could have been involved with your accident.

You’ll want to refer to Column 15 on Page 1 when you are looking through these codes to see what codes your investigating officer entered for Type of Physical Complaint. There are several different codes here so you’ll want to make sure they do correctly determine that types of injuries you are experiencing.

The differences in these codes can make a huge difference when it comes to how much you’ll be compensated by insurance companies, so you’ll have to ensure that the assessment by your investigating officer is accurate. If something seems off then you’ll need to call us immediately because time will be of the essence and you’ll want to ensure you’re setting yourself up for the correct insurance compensation before your form is due.

Pages 5 and 6

These pages will predominately entail hospital codes for every hospital across the state. You’ll want to double check that the code that is in Boxes 17 and 18 on Page 1 coincides with the correct hospital in your area or the one which you received medical attention after your accident.

Any type of car accident that involves hospitalization is a very serious legal matter that you should never try to tackle by yourself, so always know that too much is at stake to not see how we can help you and your situation.

Page 7

Page 7 entails information about bus and commercial truck accidents, which often also involve high expenses and potentially serious injuries. Delivery trucks, 18-wheelers and buses involved with accidents will utilize this page by deciphering the specific code for these vehicles.

These specific codes are also found on Page 1 under the Vehicle Type box in the row beginning with Plate Number.

We’ve had a tremendous amount of success when it comes to handling auto accidents involving trucks and buses throughout New York, so you’re surely in good hands with us no matter what type of vehicles were involved in your accident.

How should I get a copy of my accident report?

You’ll have two options when it comes to receiving a copy of your accident report, including the following:

  • Visit or call the local police precinct where the accident occurred and ask them if your report is available and what the fee would be to obtain a copy.
  • You can check out Get an accident report if the police and motorists involved in the accident have filed their reports, and the DMV has officially processed each report. This page will help you access the information you’ll need to receive PDF files of your accident report.

Work with a Long Island Personal Injury Lawyer

If you were injured in any type of auto accident and are having difficulties filling out your MV-104 Accident Report, then working with a Long Island personal injury lawyer will help you organize the necessary information that will ensure you get your rightful compensation from insurance companies.

It’s crucial to fully understand that insurance companies simply will not just lend out money to you, and it many times takes consistent negotiations for you to get fairly compensated.

All of the attorneys at Siler & Ingber have devoted their practice to helping victims of all types of personal injury accidents, including auto accidents. We utilize a contingency fee agreement, which means we won’t charge you anything until we recover money for you.

Contact us today at 1 516 294 2666 to schedule a free initial consultation, or reach out to us online at anytime for more information.

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