January 10th, 2011
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Call The Police?
Have you ever been in a minor car accident where the other driver hops out of their car and instantly says: “NO! Don’t call the police!”?
DON’T DO IT!
Accidents happen every day. Sometimes those accidents involve cars. But when should you involve the police? We often receive calls from customers who were in an accident, but decided it was small enough that they didn’t need to call police. These often involve just two cars and at a slow enough speed to do relatively minor damage to either vehicle. Both parties decide it’s “not worth the hassle” and simply exchange information. This is where the trouble begins. The next day, they out how much it will be to fix their car or finds out what the additional claim will do to their insurance rates. That same person starts not returning phone calls, denies the accident ever happened, or changes their story and blames it on you.
As a rule of thumb it is always good to get a police report. A police report is a written legal document. This document can verify who was involved, where the accident occurred, how things happened, and will usually include personal and insurance information. This information is vital in protecting you from frivolous claims: against you, your family, and your insurance policy.
Sometimes it is just better to call the police. Even if the other driver wants to just pay you cash for the damage. This is a bad idea. Car damage often costs more than you think. What if other party says they don’t have insurance what now? Call the police anyways as this can help if your uninsured motorist protection needs to pay. If you are involved in an accident it is always safer to call the police. This will help you get through the trouble.
Just Do It.
