Had an accident on the NJ Turnpike? What is different on this road

Which trooper station has my Turnpike report?

Look at the slip the trooper handed you. It names one of three State Police stations, and that is where your report is.

• Hurt at the south end, from Salem County to about Bordentown? Your station is Moorestown.
• Hurt in the middle, around Robbinsville, Edison or Woodbridge? Your station is Cranbury.
• Hurt at the north end, around Elizabeth, Newark or Secaucus? Your station is Newark.

Hurt up in Fort Lee, by the George Washington Bridge? Your slip may not name a trooper station at all. Then your report may be with the Port Authority police, so ask them.

To order it, go to the NJ.gov crash report site and choose the toll road option. That one costs $5. The other State Police option, for roads without tolls, costs $13, so pick the right one.

Type the case number with no dashes. Your license number, plate or last name also work. Give it up to 14 business days to show up.

If someone you love died, ask for the basic report with the Turnpike Authority's records form. You cannot get the full investigation file unless a court orders it, but a lawyer can ask the court for that.

Not sure who came? Try the NJ crash report finder.

Were you in the car lanes or the truck lanes?

In the middle of the state, think back: were you in the inner car lanes, for cars only, or the outer truck lanes, with buses and trucks?

Write down which one you were in, and which way you were going, north or south. Add the last exit you passed. The insurance company and any lawyer will ask you this.

Give the exit number, not only the mile sign you saw. North of exit 7, the mile sign you saw can be about 45 off from the number in state records. Give both, so nobody looks for your accident in the wrong place.

Were you rear-ended or sideswiped? You are not alone: that is how most people get hurt on the Turnpike. A sideswipe, when someone changes lanes into you, is far more common here than on other NJ roads.

If three or more cars were involved, see how to describe an accident with several cars and who is at fault when you get rear-ended.

A truck hit me on the Turnpike. What do I write down?

If a truck hit you, the trucking company matters as much as the driver. Before the truck leaves, try to get:

• The company name on the door or the trailer.
• The truck's plate, and the number painted on the cab (often a USDOT number).
• A photo of the side of the truck, if you can take it from a safe place.
• The truck driver's name, and the name of the insurance company. Ask whose it is: often it is the company's, not the driver's own.

You may be able to get paid for your pain by both the driver and the trucking company. That is a good question to bring to a lawyer.

Can my E-ZPass prove when the accident happened?

Often, yes. You pay the Turnpike by where you got on and where you got off, so your E-ZPass account keeps the time and place of both.

Log in and save that trip with a screenshot or a printout. If you pay by mail, keep the toll bill. It backs up the time on the police report if anyone argues about it later.

My accident was on I-95 past the state line. Which state's rules?

Remember, the Turnpike is mostly I-95, so you can end up in another state almost without noticing. Cross the George Washington Bridge and you are in New York.

Heading south, the Delaware Memorial Bridge can put you in Delaware before you know it. And if you took exit 6, you may have crossed the river onto the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

If that sounds like you, our guide for people hurt on I-95 outside New Jersey lists what still follows you home.

Can I make a claim against the Turnpike Authority?

Yes, if you think the road itself, or work the Authority did on it, helped cause your accident. Then you must send a written notice within 90 days. That is far less time than the two years you usually have to sue a driver.

Here is how to send the 90-day notice.