Time Limit on Reporting an Accident

If you are involved in a car accident, there are some important time restrictions on reporting your loss that you need to know. It is important to keep these limits in mind and to report your collision as soon as possible to the appropriate parties. By state law, accidents usually have to be reported to the police within a set number of hours or days from the date the collision occurred. Each state has different time limits, and some states mandate that only accidents causing damage over X amount of dollars or involving certain injuries must be reported to police.

Insurance companies also have different time limits for when you must report an accident to be eligible for a claim. It is extremely important to meet this deadline if you hope to receive a payment for any injuries and damages that resulted from the accident.

If you do not report within the time limit, your insurance company may deny your claim, meaning that you will not be compensated for accident-related costs. This can be especially troublesome if you are at fault for an accident in which the other party was injured or received extensive damage. If your insurance refuses to pay, the other party may sue you personally for damages.

Whenever you are involved in a car accident, it is best to report the accident to the insurance company as soon as possible if damages or injury to either party are involved. Also, check with your state to determine whether your accident needs to be reported to the police. A police report also helps with your chance of having an insurance claim accepted and paid out.
 

Contact Us

For more information on the types of insurance available to protect you in case an accident does occur, contact the Chicago car insurance agents of Insure on the Spot today at 773-202-5060.