Is it possible to file a car insurance claim without a police report? The answer to this question is, yes. You can most certainly file a claim even if the police are not involved. In some cases, it is good to get the police involved. They can get details you would have never thought to get to paint a clear picture for all insurance companies involved. Not only that, they always get statements from all the drivers of every vehicle involved, collect all their contact information, and their insurance info. Having the police out ensures the best way to get all the information needed.
Why Getting The Police Involved Is Important
Police reports are very detailed. In certain car accidents, sometimes it is difficult to tell who is at fault. Not just that, sometimes drivers might say something at the scene, but present their insurance company with another story. This can cause a potential problem as conflicting statements will make it difficult for the insurance company to understand who is at fault. If you want to go through the other driver’s insurance company, getting a police report has everyone’s first statement at the scene. Getting the information at the scene is important and you will also want to get pictures of how the cars look. The police officer will get the location that can help support your side.
If you are injured, you want an official police report showing that you were injured at the scene. A lot of times injuries are contested by the insurance company, and having it written on an official report, will support your injury claim.
When The Police Might Not Get Involved
Although there are a lot of benefits when having the police at the scene of the accident, sometimes it is not needed, or they just won’t come out. If you are involved in a minor accident where no one is hurt, and there is minimal damage to both cars, the police might not come out. In certain cities, the police will not come out to the scene if you are involved in a minor accident like that. They might even deny you when you call 911. In that case, go the route of getting the information from the other driver, and collect everything you might need: driver license, license plate number, car registration, and insurance info.
When you are involved in an accident on private property, the police are not legally entitled to go if no one is injured but will come out if a crime is committed. This is very common in parking lot accidents. Since a parking lot is private property, the police will not come out. This can make it difficult as in some cases, car accidents could be complex to investigate, especially in reversing accidents where both cars are reversing at the same time. In that case, make sure you ask the store or location you are at if there are cameras that might have caught the accident. Also, ask any people around if they witnessed the accident and get their information for your insurance company.
Final Thoughts
Yes, having the police involved is always a benefit, but sometimes it just is not needed. If the other driver is very cooperative, and no one is injured, it will be better to just simply exchange insurance information. In smaller accidents, or accidents where someone is clearly at fault, both auto insurance companies can work it out and get the best possible solution. If the other person does not carry insurance, make sure to get all their information including their address and phone number for your insurance company.