How to Deal With a Minor Car Accident Report

In the event of a minor car accident, the car accident report may be the most important detail to think about after the accident occurs. The responding police officer is responsible to talk to all involved parties and witnesses to gather all the facts and try to determine who was at fault in the accident. The completed accident report will eventually be filed with local authorities. This accident report will also need to be given to insurance providers to obtain benefits.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Detailed information to provide the police officer

How to Deal With a Minor Car Accident Report

1. Call the police when involved in any car accident, regardless of how minor it may seem to be. A complete and detailed car accident report will have to be furnished to an insurance agency to initiate a claim for benefits. Making sure that a formal accident report is taken and filed will protect all parties against fraudulent claims by one of the parties involved.

2. Provide all the requested information to the interviewing police officer. This will likely include information about where the accident occurred, who was involved, who was present in the vehicles, details about the vehicles involved and an explanation (including diagrams) of the actual accident.
   The police will file the accident report to establish and document all of the important details of the accident.
   The police department will provide a case number to every party involved in the accident. This case number will enable you to receive a copy of the accident report when it is available. The police department will provide information for how and when a copy of the accident report will be available. Some communities charge a small fee for providing a copy of the accident report.

3. Obtain a copy of the accident report from the police after they file it. This accident report will need to be provided to the insurance agency with any claim for benefits. Consult your insurance agency to find out how to furnish them with a copy of the accident report.
   The insurance company will not process a claim for an accident without an accident report. The insurance company will base its decisions on the information contained in the accident report.

Tips & Warnings

• An accident report is legal documentation of the facts involved in a car accident; therefore, it is necessary for proving certain details connected with a car accident.