In most States, every car accident on a street or highway must be reported to the police. However, some States have a threshold of a minimum amount of damage, such as $100 or $500. For example, that means that if the damages to the vehicle are less than $500 in that State, then there is no legal requirement to report the accident to the police. Having said that, it is almost impossible to determine the amount of the damages when you are standing on a street corner after an accident. Further, in these days, just about any damage to a car is certainly $1,000 or more. Therefore, the best course of action is to report the accident to police right away. Just call 911 if somebody hasn’t already done it.
Be Careful About What You Say
While you are waiting for the police to arrive, it is very important not to say much of anything to the person in the other vehicle. Let them talk and you do the listening. Don’t admit liability. For example, don’t say, "Well I did not see you until the last second" or similar statements. Your job is to talk to the officer and advise him or her as to how the accident actually occurred.
Attempt to Get Witness Information
It is also important to get the name and phone number of any witness who saw the accident so you can give that to the officer and you will have that person’s name and phone number to provide to your attorney later for follow-up.
Always Get a Copy of the Police Report
In most States, you can obtain a copy of the accident report within 7 to 10 days, and now many states allow for obtaining a copy of the accident report online for a small charge. It is important to obtain a copy of the accident report as soon as possible, and hopefully by the time you meet your attorney so you can provide a copy to him or her.
