Anytime a car accident happens its very wise to file a car accident report with law enforcement. A police report taken at the scene of a accident will document what happened and provide details which both car insurance companies can use when trying to determine who was at-fault or how a claim should be paid.
Although most minor accidents never have a report filed if you want to file a car insurance claim its always better to have a car accident report on file with the police department. People commonly change stories, forget small details or often just do not have all the answers car insurance companies need to determine fault.
“Lawsuits do not happen at the scene of the accident – they happen after the drivers go home”
This is very important to remember because in many states (especially those without no-fault car insurance laws) drivers can be sued for even the minor of accidents and a police report will help document facts that may be in question with regards to your liability.
Filing an Accurate and Detailed Accident Report is Critical
Whenever you file a police report its important to remember this legal document will be used and referred to many times during the claims process to help determine fault. If inaccurate information is on the report or items missing it can potentially delay your car insurance claim and/or subject you to questions of who was at-fault even if you walked away believing the other party was to blame. A few tips you can use to file an accurate and detailed accident report are:
Always File
No matter how minor the damage always file a report. Many times medical problems happen after an accident and you never know when someone will hire an attorney to sue you for even $500 plus only a car insurance company can determine who is at fault.
Always be Honest and Detailed
It’s natural to feel shook up and more concerned about calming down than remembering details at the scene of an accident but never lie. Just tell a police officer the facts. Everyone makes mistakes.
Always Know Who to Contact when you get home
Most police officers will give you a card or phone number to the precinct where the car accident report will be filed however its imperative you remember to get this information otherwise trying to track down a certain police officer if the report is not in the system can be difficult and frustrating.
Car accident reports are a part of public record and help car insurance companies determine risk but they are also often required by law so it’s a good idea before operating any vehicle to contact your police department or Department of Motor Vehicles and inquire about the rules of when filing a police report is mandatory. There are big fines for leaving the scene of an accident and while most parking lot accidents do not qualify as a necessary event to file a police report there are circumstances you should be aware of.
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