Car accidents are always scary and stressful, regardless of whether they are relatively minor or extremely serious. If you have been involved in a road accident in Texas, you may want to report it and file a personal injury lawsuit. However, it’s important to know the criteria for reporting a car accident to the police and how you can go about doing it. If you are involved in a car accident in Texas one of the first things you should do is make sure that you receive proper medical attention. Your personal well being is paramount and even though you may feel fine, there may be internal injuries that can only be detected by proper medical tests and procedures. The second most important thing you can do is contact a car accident attorney. They will be able to guide you through the process and assist you in getting proper legal representation and proper medical attention. An experienced car accident attorney can also assist you on how to properly report a car accident to the police in Texas.
Minor Fender Benders
Many car accidents are seemingly nothing more than minor fender benders. These are the types of incidents where one car accidentally bumps another at a slow speed and does not cause any injuries to the occupants of the other vehicle. At the same time, even a minor accident can cause property damage that might seem minor but can be costly to have repaired.
In terms of minor accidents, you only need to report the incident to the police if the damage to your vehicle is at least $1,000. While a dent on the door of your car might look easy to fix, it can run into the thousands of dollars range. If you are able to speak with the at-fault driver and exchange information, things might be easy to rectify as you may be able to recover the damages from their insurance company. However, if the other driver is uncooperative, you will have to report them to the police.
Serious Accidents Resulting in Injury
A car accident that is serious in nature, leaving injuries and significant property damage in its wake, must be reported to the police. You are required to call 911 and request police officers and an ambulance arrive at the scene of the accident. Of course, you should also remain at the scene and wait for the officers to arrive.
Texas law requires everyone to report a car accident if they are involved in one. A person who doesn’t report a crash to the police can receive penalties such as a $5,000 fine or even a prison term. As a result, it’s better to report an accident than not to even if you’re unsure of the monetary amount of damages.
How to Report a Car Accident
If you get into a car accident in Texas and it is not investigated by the police, you are required to report it to the Texas Department of Transportation. This is the case for any crash that results in injuries or death and property damage that is greater than $1,000.
However, if you have already contacted the police and reported the accident, you do not have to report it to the state’s DOT. It’s best to immediately report the crash, but you have up to 10 days of the accident to report it to the police. If you fail to do so, you can have your driver’s license suspended.
How Filing a Report Can Help You
If you have been in a car accident, you may not initially feel any injury symptoms. This is normal as most people are in shock and their adrenaline is working overtime after such a scary situation.
The other driver might try to sway you from reporting the accident by offering to pay a certain amount for the damage to your car. However, this would be a huge mistake. You are required by law to report a serious accident and can end up being swindled if you simply agree to such an offer without thinking it over first. Most likely, you would be shortchanged because the extent of your vehicle damage, injuries and subsequent medical bills may be much higher than what the at-fault driver has offered you.
Always get the name, phone number, address, license plate and driver’s license number and insurance information of the other driver. You should also aim to get information on the make and model of their vehicle so it can be included in a police accident report. Later, when you file your personal injury claim, your car accident attorney can use all this information to your advantage.
Call our law offices today at any of our convenient locations and get a free consultation with an experienced car accident attorney.
Call an Experienced Car Accident Attorney
An experienced car accident attorney deals with car accidents on a daily basis, so they are very familiar with police accident reports and how to properly use them to help maximize your claim. The Law Offices of David Kohm is ready to assist you in answering your car accident questions. Call our law offices today at any of our convenient locations and get a free consultation.
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