What Happens If You Don’t Tell Your Insurance About An Accident?

A car accident can cause injuries and expenses for both of the involved drivers. With that, drivers call their insurance providers for their accident coverage. If your car is insured on a comprehensive basis and wants to claim the vehicle damage expenses, you need to report it and make a claim. Well, what happens if you don’t tell your insurer about an accident? Read more.

Keep in mind that your insurance provider has a contract with you. All policies based on the company’s terms and conditions need to be complied with by each party. So, you’re required to report to your insurance company if you are involved in an accident, whatever the claim was being made.

What if you fail to report an accident to your insurer?

If you fail to report to your insurer about an accident, your policy can be declared void, leading to you being uninsured in the vehicle damage after the accident. Some drivers who are involved in minor car accidents don’t report to their insurance companies for the following reasons:

• The driver thinks that things can be settled with the other driver without the insurance companies

• The driver thinks his insurance rates will go up

If you don’t report an accident to your insurer, even if you are not at fault,

You should also understand the insurance policy in your country. So, you will know what to do once you get involved in a car accident. Failure to report an accident to your insurer can also lead to significant penalties and complications.

For example, if you agree with the other driver to work things out and don’t file insurance claims, but the other driver, later on, realizes that the damage was severe. Well, there is a possibility that they can make a claim after several weeks. With that, your insurance premiums can increase and lead to more monetary losses.

One reasonable situation not to report an accident to your insurance company is when the accident happens in your car, on your property, and the only damage is to your property. Additionally, there are no injuries involved in the accident on your property.

Now that you have learned what will happen if you fail to report an accident to your insurer let’s find out about reporting the accident to law enforcement.

Are you required to report an accident to law enforcement?

The answer to this question can vary in the state you live in. In most states, the driver is required to report an accident that involves injury. You should also exchange contact details with the other driver at the incident scene, including their insurance information.

In case the other driver doesn’t cooperate or doesn’t have insurance, you can request the involvement of law enforcement to help you get this information. Law enforcement agencies can depend on the accident location. It might be a county sheriff, municipal police, or highway patrol.

Moreover, even the other driver is cooperative; there can be a dispute between you and the other party about the cause of the accident. With that, it is better to ask for assistance from law enforcement. Another reason why you should contact law enforcement is due to possible injuries.

You can inform your insurance company about the accident even if you don’t plan to make a claim. Meanwhile, you should report the accident to your insurer within a reasonable time. You can check your policy terms and conditions. If it doesn’t have a time frame, it is best to report to the insurer as soon as possible or have your commercial accident lawyer in St Louis talk to them.

Conclusion

If you get involved in an accident, it is essential to tell your insurer about it. Notify your insurance company regardless of the damage and how minor it is. Don’t be tempted not to report the incident to your insurer. Remember that insurers share information with each other. With that, they still find out about an event that can lead to problems associated with non-disclosure.

Failing to report an accident to your insurance company can lead to bigger monetary losses, which may disappoint you in the end. It can also increase your insurance premiums. Therefore, make sure to always notify your insurer if you get involved in an accident. It doesn’t matter how big or small the damage, and the collision is.