A frightening accident along a rural road in Alameda County, like Highway 84, may leave accident victims depending on the Alameda County Sheriff’s Department for help. It may be Sheriff’s Deputies who respond to your accident. Those officers will be getting help for the injured and helping clear the road. They’ll also investigate what happened and try to determine who caused the crash.
This information goes into something called a collision report or accident report. If you are being falsely blamed for an impact, that report will be a strong piece of evidence to prove what really happened. It may be the key to securing help with your medical bills and your car repair invoices.
Requesting an Accident Report from the Sheriff’s Office
Before you seek out your collision report, it’s important to know that if your car accident only involved property damage, your car insurance provider may have already requested your report. If you’ve hired a car accident attorney for your case, your lawyer will secure the report for you.
If you need to request the report yourself, you can do so online, through the mail, or by fax. Remember, you’ll need to fill out an Authorization For Release of Authorized Information form before the department can release your report.
The Alameda County Sheriff’s Department provides further instructions.
- Complete the online form here.
- Fill out the Paper Form and return it via ONE of the following methods:
- Email it to ACSORecords@acgov.org
- Mail it to 2000 – 150th Avenue San Leandro, CA 94578
- Fax it to 510-667-3970.
To request your collision report, you’ll need information such as the date of your accident, the location, and the names of the drivers involved. You’ll also want to have the report number the deputy gave you on the scene.
You will be notified by telephone when the report is ready for pick-up. Reports must be picked up between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. If desired, the report will be e-mailed or mailed to the person requesting the report by providing a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
For more information on obtaining a copy of a police or incident report, the Records section is open Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 5:00 pm for most services. You can contact the department at 510-272-6878.
Filling out an Authorization for Protected Information Form
In most cases, you’ll need to fill out the authorization form to prove that you were involved in the accident. The Sheriff’s Department also needs this release notarized. It’s a precaution to make sure your sensitive information doesn’t end up in the wrong hands.
Complete this form if you are seeking the release of protected information.
Do I Need a Lawyer After an Alameda County Collision?
When accidents involve serious injuries and someone else caused the crash, it’s critical to talk to an attorney about what happened. A serious injury can involve many things, such as a broken bone or a head injury.
These types of injuries build up expensive hospital bills and that leads car insurance companies to seek ways to avoid having to accept responsibility. They’ll try to blame you for the accident or try to downplay the injuries you’ve suffered.
Don’t end up footing the bill for a major injury that you received through no fault of your own. Contact an Alameda County Car Accident Lawyer serving all victims to schedule a free, no-obligation case consultation. If you need our help, you won’t need to have any money to hire us. We don’t get paid unless we win your case for you. Then, our fee comes out of the insurance settlement we earn for you.
