In a Minor Car Accident, What You Need to Know

By: Eric Kricher, Capstone Brokerage Private Client Advisor, April 2014

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department will no longer be responding to non-injury accidents as of March 3, 2014. Many people now need to know what to do if they are in a minor, non-injury, accident. Typically they are guided at the scene by a police officer; however this will no longer be the case here in Las Vegas. It is crucial to understand what your auto insurance company will need to process a claim.

Recently a friend of mine was in a fender bender. His first thought was to call 311, to request that an officer respond to the accident. He was shocked when he found out that since there was not a serious injury no officer would respond. So, he called me his personal insurance advisor. He was so worried about his insurance premium going up and proving he was not at fault. The expense of getting his car fixed, he felt, belonged to the other party involved in the accident. He wanted to make sure he collected the proper information needed to file a claim with his insurance company. Helping my friend made me realize the impact Metro’s decision would have on all Las Vegas auto insurance premiums and drivers in general.

Here is a list of information that most insurance companies will want to know after you are involved in an automobile accident:

– Policy number (can be found on your insurance card).
– Date the accident occurred.
– Location the accident took place
– Description of how the accident occurred.
– Name, address, license plate, and insurance information for the other party involved.
– Name of the police department involved (if applicable).
– Police report number (if applicable).

It will be interesting to see how Las Vegas auto insurance premiums are affected by this recent change with Metro. I would suspect that it will become harder to actually prove who was at fault without having a police report. In fact I would even go as far to say people will change their story to try and prove fault on the other diver. This makes all parties involved more responsible for good record keeping.

Each party should assume the task of documenting the car accident to the best of their ability. A smart phone will come in handy to take photos of the scene. Perhaps a witness will stop to check if everyone is ok. Be sure to get their information and a brief written statement. If the other driver states they are at fault, try and get them to do so in writing. Insurance companies are obliged to believe the story given to them by their own policy holder unless there is proof to the contrary. Written documentation by both witnesses and the drivers can be key to keeping the accidents story straight.

I would also recommend contacting your agent or insurance company as soon as possible. Many providers have 24-hour claim-filling and can help guide you right at the scene. The goal of course is to properly document the accident. This will help make the claims process smoother for all parties involved, even if you are the one at fault. Only time will tell how Metro’s new process will affect Las Vegas auto insurance policy premiums. If you need more information it is always good to maintain a relationship with your agent to better understand your unique needs.