A car accident is never a pleasant experience, no matter how major or minor the accident might be. Some significant accidents might not hurt the passengers and might look inconsequential, but the question arises whether you need to report those either to law enforcement or the insurance company. Speak to an attorney to get all the answers to your questions about personal injury.

Will you have to report it to law enforcement?

State laws on calling the police following an accident typically vary. One or several of the crash’s conditions are frequently included in state laws on the subject. For instance, certain states mandate accident reports if there were any injuries. If the damages surpassed a specific amount, other regions of the country might demand a record of the accident.

One law that is the same in every state is the requirement that drivers convey information following an accident. It is crucial that all drivers involved in the incident share contact and insurance information as soon as possible following the mishap. The most crucial action in a minor accident is exchanging information with the other driver.

Request the assistance of the police department at the accident scene to help you gather this information if the other motorist is uncooperative or if you have reason to suspect the other driver does not have insurance. Depending on where the accident occurred, the law enforcement organization may be the sheriff’s department, the state highway patrol, or the city police.

There may be a good conscience disagreement between you and the other driver about what caused the collision, even if the other driver is agreeable. It is also wise to request law enforcement support in this situation.

Reporting the accident to your insurance company:

For two reasons, people who are engaged in small incidents frequently attempt to avoid reporting these kinds of incidents to their insurance providers:

  1. The driver believes that the other motorist can simply be “settled” with without notifying the insurance providers, 
  2. and that his insurance premiums will rise as a result. 

It is crucial to realize that every vehicle insurance policy in the nation needs consumers to record any collision they are a part of. Failure to notify your insurance provider of an accident could lead to severe issues or penalties in the future.

Your insurance provider may refuse to provide you with specific protection if the other driver files a claim for undetected vehicle damage or unanticipated injuries after a few weeks or months because you delayed reporting the incident. Therefore, your attempt to avoid a potential increase in your insurance premiums could cost you even more money later.

Would it be fair to forego notifying the insurance company if the collision occurs in your car, on your property, there are no injuries sustained, and the only harm is to your property?