Imagine this scenario: You're driving to work early one morning, and you stop at a red light. The insufficiently caffeinated driver behind you still has sleep in his eyes, and doesn't hit his brakes in time. He crashes into your back end-not too hard, but hard enough to elicit some concern, and maybe even a curse word or two. You both get out of your vehicles, and when you check your rear bumper for damage and see none-not even a scratch!- you shake hands, get back in your cars, and finish the drive to work.
Thank goodness it was nothing serious, you think. You don't have time to deal with filing any sort of police report, much less an insurance claim. That evening, you return home. Your children are playing on the front lawn. As you back into the driveway, you hear one of them shriek, "Hey, what happened to your bumper?" It turns out the impact of the morning's crash was substantial enough to cause your bumper to fall off, unbeknownst to you, at some point during your commute. Now you're going to spend a pretty penny for a repair that-had you taken the time to file a police report immediately after the accident-could have cost you nothing.
The Cost of Failing to File a Report
Filing a police report at the scene of the accident creates a record of what has happened, and is always useful when another driver has been involved. If your vehicle is damaged due to an accident, and no fault can be assigned to the other driver, your auto insurance may cover the cost of repairs under the comprehensive (not collision) portion of your policy. But you will be responsible for a deductible. And what if you don't have comprehensive coverage, but only liability? Then you will be on the line for the entire cost of the repairs. With proof that another driver was at fault-proof provided by a police report-you can avoid these costs.
How a Report Can Help
A police report will effectively put down in writing what happened before, during, and after an auto accident. While it's true that the person at fault may insist that they were not to blame, getting both sides of the story down-as well as the testimonies of any witnesses to the accident-is better than making no report at all. Even if you file a police report after the other driver has fled the scene (hit and run), it's likely that the damage to your vehicle would be covered under UM/UIM (uninsured/under-insured motorist) coverage. By filing a report, you're establishing an official record that will help your insurance company make the decision to cover your repairs.
Make it a Rule of Thumb
If you are involved in any kind of auto accident, no matter how minor it may seem at the time, make it a rule of thumb to file a police report. Your vehicle, or your body, may later evince damage that was not apparent at the time of the accident. A police report is, in effect, a way to ensure that you will be insured!
For any of your insurance questions, Contact Richard B. Ryon Insurance today.