Do Vehicle Accidents Need to be Reported If They Are Minor?

Do Vehicle Accidents Need to be Reported If They Are Minor? is a post from: http://www.personalinjurylawyercalgaryinc.ca/

Many people consider the legal consequences of car wrecks, but the most frequent vehicular incidents involve minor damage. These are the sort of accidents even experienced drivers cause in places like parking lots through misjudging a distance and bumping another car.

Due to how minor the circumstances are, many drivers wonder if these need to be reported and to who. The short answer is that they need to be reported to at certain parties. Those parties may include the owner of the other automobile, law enforcement, and insurance providers.

Legally, some answers may change from state to state. All states, however, require an exchange of information between the parties involved. If in a parking lot, this may mean informing the vehicle owner through a note. Many states require damage to the vehicle above a certain amount to be reported to law enforcement. This number may vary, but $1,000 is typical. Generally if it was severe enough that a physical injury may have occurred, it should be reported. During any instances in which there is a dispute between you and the other driver about exchanging information, the cause of the accident, or the extent of damage it is best to contact law enforcement.

One reason contacting law enforcement is important is to ensure that accurate information is obtained. Injuries, for example, may not be readily apparent at the accident site. Some people may claim extra damage has occurred to their vehicle than really occurred. In these, and other instance, the presence of a law enforcement agent collecting evidence can help the validity of your case.

Additionally accidents ought to be reported to your insurance company no matter how minor it seems. If you don’t you may be in violation of your policy. Most policies require an accident to be immediately reported. You could have your insurance company deny coverage of an unreported event.