Filing An Insurance Claim Without A Police Report

Am I Required To File A Police Report After An Accident?

Whether you are required to file a police report after an accident depends on three things in Nevada:

• Whether a person has been injured or killed
• Whether property damage has occurred
• Whether a law enforcement officer has filed a report on the accident

It is important to note that if someone is injured or killed in an accident you are involved in, you must file an accident report with law enforcement right away. 

Although, under different circumstances, you should still file an accident report immediately, situations often arise where notifying law enforcement right away may not be possible. In these cases, Nevada law gives drivers 10 days to report the accident. 

Failure To File A Police Report

Failure to report a reportable accident is considered a crime in Nevada. According to NRS 484E. 080(1), offenders can be charged with a gross misdemeanor and receive significant penalties, including:

• Up to 364 days in jail
• Fines of up to $2,000
• One-year license suspension

Anyone involved in an accident should report the incident to the authorities to avoid unintended consequences.

What Goes In A Police Accident Report?

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A police report of an accident contains many pieces of important information relating to a traffic crash, including:

• Time, date, and location of the accident
• Names of the drivers
• Vehicles involved, including make, model, and year
• Names of witnesses to the crash
• Current weather and road conditions at the time of the accident
• Traffic violations committed and cited
• Preliminary assessment of injuries and vehicle damage

This vital crash information will typically be used for many purposes, including:

• Statistics
• Deciding on criminal charges
• Helping to evaluate injuries and property damage

A police accident report is a highly informative document given great evidentiary weight by insurance companies. Any information contained within a report is afforded a great deal of credibility. As such, without one, a victim seeking compensation will usually be at a slight or great disadvantage, depending on the circumstances.  

Can I Make an Insurance Claim Without a Police Report?

The answer is yes. You may file an insurance claim without a police report. However, doing so will typically complicate your efforts at recovering proper compensation for your injuries and losses. 

You see, insurance companies do what they can to preserve their profits, which typically means paying as little as possible for presented claims. The less an insurance company pays out, the more profits it will have. Without a police report, an insurance company will have ample opportunity to challenge many aspects of a valid claim. 

If you do not have a police report or did not file an accident report, your claim is still valid. You should still strongly consider speaking with an attorney for representation. 

Why Should I File a Police Report After an Accident?

Ultimately, filing a police report is in your best interests after an accident, regardless of the perceived situation. A police report will provide a measure of stability to the situation by memorializing key aspects of an accident at or shortly after the time of the accident. This evidence will be powerful because it is fresh and largely reliable. 

Filing a police report will also save you much time, effort, and expense down the line. Much of the evidence you need may be found in the police report. With a copy of a police report, you’ll save hours of work and, consequently, money.

Filing Your Claim

As mentioned, filing an insurance claim without a police report will likely lead to difficulties. However, these difficulties can be potentially overcome with the representation of an experienced auto accident attorney. If you have been involved in a car accident without a police report filed and are set to file a claim, meet with an attorney before doing so to protect your compensation interests. 

If you do end up speaking with an insurance company agent before consulting with an attorney, know that your words can be used to hurt your claim. Insurance company adjusters and other insurance representatives use whatever they can as justification to deny or reduce compensation claims. 

Evidence

Whether you have a police report or not, you will need evidence for your claim. The evidence should clearly show how and why the other driver is at fault. As an accident victim, you can greatly help your case by:

• Snapping photos of the accident scene 
• Recording video footage
• Gathering witness contact information and statements
• Documenting weather and road conditions

Of course, your safety takes priority after an accident. Never do anything to risk your safety, first and foremost. You should also take care to comply with the law to protect yourself from liability, such as notifying the police of your accident. 

Inaccurate Police Report

What happens when the police report contains inaccuracies? An inaccurate police report can mean the difference between proper and subpar compensation. Fortunately, police reports, although strong evidence, are refutable with the right kind of evidence. As a party to the incident, you have the right to challenge the report’s accuracy. 

To challenge a report, you will need hard evidence like the evidence listed above. Hard, direct evidence can easily refute a flawed police report. A skilled attorney can help you set the record straight by thoroughly investigating the incident and flushing out the true facts. These facts will form the basis for your insurance claim.

Protecting Your Compensation Interests and Your Future

A police report is a key part of an insurance compensation claim. It provides key verifiable details that insurance companies customarily accept as valid. Although filing an auto accident claim without a police report is possible, doing so will likely complicate the process and risk a reduction or complete loss of compensation. An experienced law firm can work to protect you, whatever your circumstances might be.