How are mnor car accidents handled in you area??

Was reading RRLUND's post and was curious. Does seem like law enforcement is not interested in minor accidents. So for animals and minor damage lets hear it.

I got tagged at an intersection a few months back, cop pulled up, asked him what happened, then asked me the same question. Wrote it down, took our info, and said if there was a problem he would get back with us. Never heard another word.

We don't have the state troopers we used to have so if you have an accident out in the stick's it could take 30 to 40 minutes if they are on the other side of the county. A Deputy will show up pretty soon but you still have to wait on a trooper. Last time a deer landed on my hood the trooper was there in less than 5 minutes. He was off duty and on his way home so he jotted down the info and said he would file it the next day when he went back on duty. Can't beat that with a stick.

jocco,


If you happen to be in "the cities", they only show up for accidents that have injuries.

Sad, especially when you want an officer's written account.

D.

In Omaha they will come for minor accidents, UNLESS the weather has created lots of fender benders! Then they use radio stations to tell us if no one is hurt, and driveable, to just exchange information!

Where I live, if you hit a deer, you must report it to law enforcement, or your insurance will balk at paying the bill. Other incidents depends on severity, but generally an "accident" must be reported and investigated by a patrolman if the damage is over $500. or something like that.

How would you exchange information with a deer?

that's how we do in indy ,if its slik and no ones hurt ,and minimal damage ,and no private property building damage ..report to 911 and .exchange info ,,. deer hitz must be reported ,, don't always get a cop to come out for deer hits,,i have hit about 6 or more ,,, each time reported by cellphone , loaded deer in truck ,went by sheriffs office , got report ,they recorded and forwarded report to dnr .....took report to FB insurance ,they cut chek to me and body shop ..

LOL ,,try mouth to mouth with Your Dear ...

We had a $900 deer ding last summer here in NWIA. Turned it in to our insurance, went to the body shop and had it fixed. The insurance co paid everything above the deductible with no hassle.

I'm a retired field Lt. from Wichita PD. Minor (generally less than $1000 damage and NO injury or drunk involved) wrecks are written up strictly as a courtesy to insurance companies. "Accidents" that are on private property are not written up at all unless there is injury or a drunk.

The idea that an officer's statement of what/how it happened is important is a common misunderstanding. Unless the officer saw it happen he/she can only write down what he is told by the people involved. Few officers are certified to reconstruct an accident so officers are merely recorders.

Insurance companies will draw their own conclusions and as a rule they don't care what a police report says. They do like to have an officer at the scene so as to have some assurance that there was not a drunk involved.

Exceptions to this are wrecks worked by a professional traffic agency such as the Kansas Highway Patrol. They are trained to be traffic experts and their investigations are golden. However, they will not put much in the way of resources into a non-injury with no drunk and minor damage.

Many of us have maintained for years that traffic is really a civil problem and as such there is no good reason to expend police resources on traffic at all, but we always lost that argument.

if the cars can be driven away, no accident report is needed in PA.

The rules for Minnesota:

Anyone involved in a traffic crash must stop at the crash site. Call for law enforcement and an ambulance if needed. Provide reasonable assistance to anyone who sustained injuries in the crash.

All drivers involved in the crash should exchange names, addresses and vehicle license plate numbers, as well as showing driver’s licenses, if requested.

Collect names, addresses and vehicle license plate numbers of any witnesses.

The law enforcement officer investigating the crash will ask for evidence of vehicle insurance.

A report must be filed with Driver and Vehicle Services if a crash results in injury, death or the total property damage is $1000 or more. The reports must be filed within 10 days of the crash.
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It Texas you can call the police any time there is an accident with another person however legally you don't have to unless someone is injured or there is property damage to at least one vehicle of $1000.00 or more. At a body shop though unless one vehicle is a shopping cart any bump is going to be $1000.00 or more.

In NY any personal injury or property damage exceeding $1000.00 is a reportable accident. $1k is a dinged fender or cracked grill these days. Some agencies want tickets issued for non-animal accident. That never sat well with me.