The police usually report car accidents in Wisconsin. However, what should you do if they are not easily accessible? Sometimes, it may feel like a bother if your accident left little to no damage.
You might be tempted to brush off the incident, but state laws indicate that any crash must be reported if it meets the following conditions:
- Someone suffered an injury.
- The collision caused at least $ 1,000 worth of private property damage.
- It also damaged property owned by the government.
Even so, you might not be sure whether your crash met these criteria. Fortunately, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) would send you a letter if you failed to document your reportable accident.
Completing a crash report
You should take down as much information as possible at the scene of the incident. When drafting an accident report, the following information will likely be included:
- Driver’s license numbers
- Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs)
- Social Security Numbers
- Insurance details
If they’re uninsured, you may need to complete more paperwork according to the safety responsibility law. Additionally, gathering these details might not be possible if your car was parked and you were not present during the crash. For these situations, you would not need to report it unless you can collect information on the other drivers.
What happens next?
After submitting a crash report, it will appear on the driver’s record of everyone involved. It will show the date of the accident, its severity, the county where it happened and each party’s involvement.
You might want a copy for your insurance provider if they ask for it. You should review the report thoroughly to check if it matches the information with your insurance company. Fortunately, WisDOT makes it easy to file and get crash reports on their website.