How Do You File a Collision Report in Georgia?

How Do You File a Collision Report in Georgia?

When you are involved in a car accident, your first thought is to make sure everyone is okay. If there are injuries, call 911 immediately to request emergency medical services. Also, if an accident falls into one of the following three categories, Georgia law requires you to report the accident to law enforcement officials (call 911 is sufficient for reporting a collision if a police officer comes to the crash scene):
  • The auto accident caused any bodily injury;
  • The traffic accident resulted in a fatality; or,
  • The collision caused $500 or more in property damage.

In addition to being required by law, there are several other reasons why you want to report an auto accident and obtain a formal accident report from the police

Why Should I Report a Car Accident?

If the other driver disagrees with how the collision happened and who caused the collision, you are likely to be in a battle to see whose insurance company will pay damages for injuries, losses, and damages. A police report is not conclusive evidence of fault; however, having a police officer investigate the accident and issue a report is a good beginning for filing a claim against the at-fault driver.

If a driver leaves the scene or is uninsured, you need an accident report to file the claim under your uninsured motorist policy, if you purchased UMI as part of your auto insurance policy.

A collision report can provide valuable information about the driver and owner of the vehicle such as contact information and insurance information. It may also list the information for passengers and eyewitnesses. If the other person is being difficult about providing the information, calling the police is your best option because he or she has no choice but to provide the information to the officer when he arrives on the scene.

Remember, if in doubt, it is best to report the accident. You want to ensure you are complying with the legal requirements to file a collision report in addition to protecting your legal rights to file a car accident claim against the other driver.


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