When Does a Car Accident Need to Be Reported?

Under Wisconsin law, you are required to stop after an accident that you know or reasonably should know caused property damage, bodily injury, or death. You must stop where it is safe, exchange information, and provide reasonable assistance if someone is in need of help. If you drive away or fail to fulfill these requirements, you can be charged with a crime. Additionally, there are times where you are required by law to not only stop for the accident but also report it to the police. Unfortunately, refusing or failing to contact the police right away could influence your injury claim later on. It could also lead to a suspension of your driver’s license.

If you were in an accident and you are not sure if it was properly reported to the police, call us at Studinski Law, LLC at (715) 343-2850.

When to Report a Car Accident to the Police

There are a few reasons why you must report an accident to the police, including:

• Reporting an accident for property damage
  If you are involved in a crash and it appears that there could be $1,000 or more worth of property damage or $200 or more to government property other than a vehicle, you must contact the police right away. Of course, you may not be able to tell exactly how much the damage to a vehicle will cost. However, if you can tell a vehicle or some other property will require labor and one or more new parts, then it is best to assume the repairs will be costly. In that case, you should contact the police. It is better to be safe and contact the police than have to later deal with the consequences of not having a formal car accident report for a crash that caused thousands of dollars in damage.
• Reporting an accident due to injuries
  If any driver, passenger, cyclist, pedestrian, or other person is injured, you must call the police immediately. Wisconsin law considers an injury to be any physical harm that needs first aid or attention by a physician, whether or not medical care was actually received. Therefore it does not matter if someone refuses to be looked over by the paramedics or to go to the hospital. If you can tell that the person was likely hurt, call the police.
• Reporting an accident due to fatalities
  If anyone involved in the crash was killed, you must contact the police immediately.

How to Report a Car Accident

When you are required to report a car accident, you must do so as soon as possible. This usually means calling on an available cell phone. However, if no cell phones survived the collision, then you may have to wait for a witness to stop or someone might have to use a nearby business’s phone.

Who to Call to Report a Car Accident

You should contact the police department, sheriff’s department, county or municipal traffic department, or the state traffic patrol to report a car accident. If the crash caused injuries or fatalities, it is best to call 911 and to speak with whoever is dispatched to your scene. It may be the closest available law enforcement officer, whether they are from a state or local department. If you wish to use a non-emergency number instead of 911, you should be careful to call the appropriate law enforcement agency.

What You Can do if You Fail to Immediately Report a Collision

There may be situations in which you cannot report the accident to the police for some reason or you do not realize you needed to. Luckily, you can rectify this mistake. When you contact the police after a collision, they submit a written report of the crash. However, without calling the police, you are responsible for completing a Wisconsin Driver Report of accident online. This form will ask for your and the other driver’s name, contact information, and vehicle information. It will also ask you to describe how the accident occurred and to mark where the vehicles were damaged.

Contact Our Wisconsin Personal Injury Lawyers for Help

If you were in a car accident and are not sure if you handled it properly or what to do next, call our experienced car accident attorney at Studinski Law, LLC at (715) 343-2850 right away. We are here to help you however we can, including handling an insurance claim or representing you in a personal injury lawsuit. We will review the accident and both drivers’ actions after the accident to determine whether a proper report was filed.