What Is The Correct Way To Report A Car Accident In Texas?
Nobody wants to be involved in a car accident. Unfortunately, car accidents in Texas are not uncommon. According to the Texas Department of Transportation, there were more than 249,000 traffic crash injuries and 3,639 traffic crash fatalities that occurred during the latest reporting year across the state. Anybody involved in a car accident must understand the correct way to report the incident in the state.
Am I required to report the incident to the police?
It is highly recommended that you report every accident that occurs to the police, regardless of its severity. Under Texas law, drivers are required to report a car accident to the police if:
The incident resulted in property damage exceeding $1,000
Anyone has been injured in the incident
Anyone was killed in the incident
A failure to report a car accident that involves any of the above thresholds can result in a fine of up to $5,000 and/or imprisonment. If you have any doubt about whether or not a car accident you have been in is reportable under the law, call the police so there will be an official record of the incident. The easiest way to do this is to dial 911 and inform the dispatcher of the accident's location and whether anyone is injured.
How will reporting the incident help you?
It is not uncommon for anybody involved in an accident to be in shock initially after the incident happens. Drivers and passengers may not be thinking clearly. It may be the case that the at-fault driver offers to pay out-of-pocket for any damages they caused to get you to not report the accident to the police or the insurance company. It may be tempting to accept this offer, especially if there is minimal damage and no visible injuries. However, accepting an offer like this and not making a report could result in significant consequences for you. It is essential to understand that many car wreck injuries are masked by the rush of adrenaline a person experiences in the immediate aftermath of the crash. The signs and symptoms of some injuries do not occur for hours or even days after the accident. If you have left the scene without making a report, only to realize later you are injured, complications can arise. Filing a car accident report several days later, after injuries appear, will raise questions about why you did not make a report when the accident happened. This will make it more difficult to prove that the accident was the cause of your injuries. Another reason to report an even seemingly minor accident is that property damage to a vehicle can be deceiving. What may look like a small dent in a bumper may actually be several thousand dollars’ worth of damage, particularly if the body of the car, the chassis, or other internal parts have been damaged. Having a police report will be invaluable when it comes to securing a settlement for injury or property damage expenses. The police officer will decide as to which party was at fault, and this information can be used by your insurance carrier or in a personal injury lawsuit. Be sure to ask the police officer at the scene how to obtain an official police report. Typically, these reports will be available a few weeks after the accident occurs.