Unfortunately, when an accident occurs sometimes the other party isn’t willing to abide by the rules. In a perfect world, we’d all promptly exchange information and then of course notify our insurance broker or company of the situation. But what happens when the other driver fails to report the accident to their insurance provider?
Immediately phone your insurance broker or insurance company and let them know exactly what’s going on. You’re looking at a situation in which you may not have been at fault and yet because the responsible party isn’t going to report it, your insurance company will have to pay. Really the only thing you can do in this circumstance is to keep calm follow procedure and let your insurer handle the details.
Document the events to the best of your ability
Take photos and write what happened down in as much detail as you can. Do whatever you can to gather the evidence and to keep those details and events as fresh as possible. Fortunately, as we all have a smartphone handy this is pretty easy. You can even start recording videos. This will enable your insurance company to have the documentation they need to pursue the other driver for compensation should that driver be deemed at fault in the accident.
Get the other driver’s info
This may be a bit trickier especially if they refuse to notify their own insurance provider. But gathering as many details and information about the other party as you can is imperative in the event of a crash. If they refuse to provide any information, at least write down a description of their vehicle and their license plate. Ideally, you’d have their name, phone number, and insurance provider.
Notify the police ASAP
As soon as you have been involved in any type of accident, you’re going to want to telephone the police immediately. The police will help to ensure that everyone is safe and that the area where the incident occurred is properly contained and they will also create a police report (this is required for all accidents with damage over $2000). This is vital for your insurer. It’s also further evidence of what happened and may point to who may be at fault.
In the end, if another driver fails to report an accident to their own insurance company yours is going to have to foot the bill. If you have uninsured motorist or family protection coverage, this will ensure you’re covered. However, your insurance company will go after the other driver if possible. Arming your insurer with as much information as possible is going to help them prevail.