How Long Do You Get To Report A Car Accident

Car accidents occur at the most unexpected places and the most unexpected instant. They can be scary. You may have to deal with injuries, damages to your car or other such damages. The minute the accident occurs, you have a limited time frame to report the accident. Even a minor fender bender can turn into a major headache in a flash. Hence, it is best to report a car accident as soon as possible. You can get more info through this article.

Most people are unaware of the proper protocol to be followed to report a car accident. In case of major accidents, the police should always be called as soon as possible, while the minor collisions are left unreported quite often. If you fail to report the incident to the police or exchange every minute detail, it may lead to future issues.

Who Should Report A Car Accident?

According to the Road Traffic Act (1988), anyone who is driving a motorised vehicle, that may be a car, van, bike or a scooter, involved in a collision that has resulted in damage to property or injured any person, property, vehicle or animals, are required to halt. The other driver or the property owner, in most cases, file an accident report. The guilty party must provide their vehicle registration number, name and address. Failing to do these may result in a fine or some cases, even imprisonment for up to 6 months.

Most states have a maximum deadline of 24 hours to report any car accident. Car accident case evaluation must be initiated at the earliest. If medical injuries prevent you from reporting, you are expected to report the accident as soon as possible.

Reporting The Police Within The Limited Time Frame

Within 24 hours of the incident taking place, you must call the police immediately and provide them with details of any damage done to buildings, parked cars, even when there were no other people involved. There are cases where individuals deliberately crash into the car to make a fraudulent insurance claim. You must inform the police if you suspect that you are a victim of any such case.

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Reporting The Accident To The Insurance Company

The time frame to report the accident to your insurance company depends on your current contract. However, it is a good idea to report the accident to your insurance company at the earliest so that a proper claim can be initiated quickly. Most insurance providers require you to report the accident as fast as reasonably possible. Many companies have a deadline of 24 hours so that you can report the accident immediately. It proves to be helpful to go through your insurance policy and recheck for any claim limitations.

Details To Be Exchanged Immediately

Post any car accident; you need to exchange a few essential details with the third party as soon as possible. They include the name, address and contact information, the registration numbers of the vehicles involved. In case the car belongs to someone else, you need to provide his or her contact details too. If someone has been injured, you must share your insurance policy details, provided someone at the scene of the incident has reasonable grounds to request it.

Statute Of Limitations

In most car accident cases, we seek settlements from the insurance company. In some cases, even a lawsuit is necessary. Statute of limitations is a state-defined time limit for you to file a lawsuit claim.

Conclusion

In any case of a car accident, you need to report the case as fast as humanly possible. You must gather details of the date and time of its occurrence, the weather and road conditions, photos and videos and dashcam footage if available. It is also advisable to contact an attorney in these cases to keep yourself out of legal troubles.