Report minor RTC to the Police

[alanij]

Hi

 

Does anyone know the legal obligation of reporting Road traffic Collisions to the Police? I was involved in a very minor bump which did result in minor damage to both cars involved. I was driven into the back of compeltely at the fault of the driver behind me.

 

I reported this to my insurance company as although not visible at the time has incurred £1k damage to the rear cross member, spare wheel well, and rear bumper of my car. His car suffered broken numebr plate, damaged bumper and possibly damage to chassis.

 

Since the accident, his insurance company have failed to make contact with him and he is also ignoring the polices attempts to make contact. The police are sending someone around next week to his house but what legal implications are there for him by ignoring the Police? Should he have reported this to them? Also, should he have reported this to his own insurance company and the police at the time?

 

Cheers

[Mossycat]

An accident must be reported to the police where injuries are involved.

 

Where details are not exchanged between the drivers involved (for reasons of say a drive off or one of the drivers not present etc), then it must be reported to the police within 24 hours.

 

Additionally, if a criminal offence is suspected (eg drink drive etc), again that should be reported to the police at the time of the accident.

 

If there were no injuries and you have exchanged details then there are no legal implications or indeed reason for the police to be involved (providing he does indeed have insurance). The police cannot force him to fill in a claim form and neither can his insurers, if he decides not to fill one in then you will have no alternative but to seek recovery of your uninsured losses from him direct.

 

It will be a condition of his policy that he informs his insurers of all accidents as soon as reasonably possible, so yes he should have reported the accident to them, but unless any of the above conditions apply then he had no obligation to inform the police.

 

Mossy