If you’re in a car accident, should you involve the police? If so, what do you say to them?
If you’re in a car accident where no one is hurt, you have the option to call the non-emergency police number. The police will come out and take a report if needed. You won’t get in trouble for it and it won’t immediately hurt your driving record.
Continue reading if you’re curious and want to know what to do in situations related to the police and car accidents.
Have you been in a serious car accident? Call 911 immediately. If you’ve recently had a serious car wreck and need legal help, give our experienced team a call at 816-825-5704. Our consultations are 100% free, with no obligation.
When Should You Call the Police for a Car Accident?
As a general rule, you should ALWAYS call the police if someone is hurt or an accident caused substantial damage to someone’s property.
Not only do most states require a report to be submitted when someone is hurt in an accident or significant property damage is sustained, but oftentimes having a police report completed at the scene can be critical to holding the party at fault accountable. There are a myriad of issues that arise whenever drivers simply exchange information and plan to allow the insurance companies to deal with it. Here are a few examples: (1) the other driver may be providing you with an expired or canceled insurance policy (even if the card shows it isn’t expired, if they haven’t paid their bill they don’t actually have insurance), (2) tracking down the driver through their name or phone number can be difficult if they stop taking your calls, (3) more often than not the at-fault party will change their version of events after talking with their insurance company. Oftentimes there are no witnesses to car crashes and without a police report, an insurance company will bend over backwards to avoid paying you if their insured client blames you for the crash.
Calling the police can be essential in these cases for insurance purposes. Not only will they gather the available facts to the best of their ability and help you demonstrate who was at fault, they will also gather critical facts that will allow you to track down the driver later should you need to file a lawsuit against them.
Missouri & Kansas Car Accident Laws
In some states, there are requirements that mandate the filing of an accident report under certain circumstances.
In Missouri, for instance, if the police were not called to the scene to complete a report, you are required to submit a Missouri Accident Report to the Missouri Department of Revenue if:
- Someone in the accident did not have liability insurance.
- If more than $500.00 of damage occurred or there was personal injury or death.
But in the state of Kansas, drivers are required to report accidents to the local police department if:
- The accident caused damaged property of $1,000 or more
- Any person involved in the accident is injured or killed
Failure to report an accident meeting these criteria in Kansas may result in having your license suspended. Even if the other driver offers to pay for the damages and asks you not to file a report, you are still required to file the report if either of the above criteria are met.
When in doubt, the safest option is to call the local police department and wait for an officer to show up and complete an accident report.
What to Do After a Car Accident
Many states have set procedures drivers are expected to follow in the event of an accident. The following is the set procedure for Missouri:
- Move the vehicle off the road, especially if you’re on a busy highway and there’s a chance that other accidents may occur.
- Check if anyone is hurt. Help the best you can without moving the injured person. Call an ambulance.
- Call the police.
- If there’s traffic, or if the accident occurred at night or in bad weather, try to use flares, reflectors or flashlights to warn other drivers.
- Exchange information with all involved parties:
- Name
- Address
- Driver’s license number
- Motor vehicle information (VIN, plate number)
- Insurance policy number and name of the company
- Make sure to stay on the scene until a police officer tells you it’s okay to leave.
- Contact your insurance company as soon as possible.
What Do You Say to the Police After a Car Accident?
Once the police arrive to conduct their investigation, it is important to stay calm and assist them in their investigation.
Take the time to reflect on the circumstances so you can give them an accurate version of your side of the events. Try to tell them honestly and accurately what happened.
One error I see many clients make is that they report to the police officer that they are uninjured. I have found most clients tell the police they are uninjured because they are either afraid to incur an ambulance bill to go to the emergency room or the adrenaline from the crash makes them feel like they are going to be alright.
It’s perfectly acceptable to tell an officer you are unsure if you are hurt yet and still decline to be taken away in an ambulance.
Summary
If you or someone in your family is ever involved in a car accident, it’s important to know what to do.
Sometimes you need a lawyer, especially if it’s a serious accident. We’re here for you!
We are experienced car accident lawyers in Kansas City, Missouri, who know all the ins and outs of car crashes.
Call us at 816-825-5704 for a free consultation.
