What Happens If You Don’t Report An Accident Within 24 Hours In Kansas?
By Pyle Law, June 28 2023 5:45 pmWhile you might be able to take certain precautions to prevent an accident, you cannot always control another person’s conduct. In other words, no one person is truly above the odds of getting into an accident. So with this, we have to be sure we know what to do if we find ourselves injured in a traffic crash.
The state of Kansas requires a driver to report an accident to law enforcement if the accident results in personal injury, death, or property damage. You should always properly report an accident, and calling 911 from the scene is often the best move. This not only ensures that law enforcement knows of the crash, but you can also get emergency medical attention if needed.
If you are in an accident, consulting with a car accident attorney can further help protect your legal rights.
Yes. There are several instances where reporting a car accident is unnecessary. They include:
If you wait too long before reporting an accident, the insurer may ultimately make a lower settlement offer that doesn’t cover your injury-related losses. There are several reasons why a delay may lead to a low settlement offer, including:
An eyewitness is a victim or a bystander present at an incident that resulted in a personal injury. A person’s description of what they saw, including drivers, the cause, and vehicles involved in the accident, is called a testimony.
However, eyewitness testimony has an inherent flaw; it is less accurate with time, which affects its credibility. If there was a delay by an attorney or the police officer in compiling the statement, the testimony loses credibility.
Usually, the reconstruction of an event is influenced by many factors, including the passage of time. The longer it takes for an eyewitness testimony to recall an event, the less accurate and reliable their testimony becomes.
Lost Physical Evidence
You can identify a car accident because of the presence of skid marks, vehicle debris, shattered glasses, and damage to the vehicle. The valuable pieces of evidence for establishing the at-fault party can deteriorate or disappear with time.
Reporting the accident within 24 hours makes it easy to record relevant information before weather and road traffic erase crucial cues. If you inform the police immediately, they will prioritize creating a report.
A policyholder has to report an insurance claim as soon as possible after a car accident. A timely notification ensures the affected parties, including the at-fault’s insurer, begin taking the next steps in solving the matter.
However, if you fail to inform the insurer on time, they may perceive your omission as a breach of contract or a potential fraud. Even so, an insurer should reject a claim in bad faith. A court can award you damages if it finds an insurer guilty of unreasonably rejecting a claim on bad faith. Visit our blog Who Pays for Damage in a Car Accident? to get more details if is your case.
You should report an accident immediately at the scene of the accident, if possible. However, if you do not report the accident, your license may be suspended until a report is filed. Your license may also be suspended for up to 30 days after failing to report the accident in a timely manner. You might also have a more difficult time proving a car accident injury claim if the report is delayed.
The steps you take after a car accident protect your right to file an insurance claim against the at-fault driver and obtain a fair settlement for injury-related losses.
Here’s a breakdown of the actions to remember:
You should call the nearest police department, or you may also visit a police station in person. The officer you report the accident to should offer additional guidance as needed – if you will need to also file a report to the county, city, or state, for example.
While you are not legally required to report an accident to your insurance provider, it might be necessary to get compensation for your losses. You should review your policy to learn if a timeframe exists in which you must report an accident. As a no-fault state, Kansas requires drivers in an accident to claim damages through their insurance provider, even if the other driver is at fault for the accident. It is often best to have a car accident lawyer handle all communications with insurers on your behalf.
If you have been injured in a car accident, or a loved one has lost their life as a result of another person’s negligence while driving, getting the help of a lawyer can help ease the healing process and achieve compensation for economic and non-economic damages.
Our legal team at Pyle Law provides trusted representation and assistance to build an effective personal injury claim. Set up a consultation today with an attorney at Pyle Law.
Pyle Law was founded in 1999 with a commitment to fewer clients and better service. We believe that each and every client is important and everyone is entitled to justice and equal protection under our laws. We make every case a priority and are committed to keeping each client informed about the status of their case. We do not guarantee results, but we do guarantee effort.
