There are many factors to take into consideration in order to answer this question, do you need to report the accident to law enforcement. Your answer will normally depend on the facts and the circumstances that surround your accident as well as what state you live in.
Many states will require that an accident be reported if it involves injury. If an accident only has vehicle damage, some states will require that it is reported if the damage done is more than a certain amount, normally $1,000 to $2500.
When an accident happens, one of the first things to do is make sure everyone is okay. Before leaving the scene, vehicle owners need to exchange insurance information. If the other drive is not cooperating with the vehicle insurance information exchange, get his license plate number and report it to law enforcement.
In some cases, the other driver may be very cooperative and agree to certain things but then later decides to dispute it and hire a lawyer to represent them and sue you instead. In this case, if you have a accident report already, you can provide proof of what really happened.
It’s very important that you take pictures of the scene, any damage, and any documentation so you have a copy of it with you should you need it. You will also want to take a picture of any skid marks and debris laying in the road as well. Take the details of the witnesses of the accident so that they can be contacted later on for statements.
Reporting an Accident to your Insurance Company
Many people who are involved in minor accidents will avoid turning it into the insurance company and simply fix it themselves in order to avoid possible raises in their insurance premiums. They also don’t report it in hopes that they can reach some type of understanding and arrange to have things paid for by an individual or they agree to pay their own damage.
When you fail to report an accident to the insurance company, they could decide to charge you penalties if they have to get involved down the road or if there is a depreciation in your vehicles value.
If you are involved in an accident, use your own judgement and think in advance what is going to happen. Do you trust the word of someone you were involved in an accident with or do you do what you feel is right and report it?
If you have been in an accident, and have been injured, call on a personal injury lawyer in Mississauga. An experienced lawyer would be able to better represent your rights to the insurance company and help you get damages.
