Is it illegal in the state of PA to agree with the other involved, not to report the accident to the police?
If so, what are the consequences?
As far as I know there is no obligation to call the police unless someone is injured.
But I’m not a lawyer or a police officer.
I think you should check with your insurance agent about this.
I think the answer is buried in here:
http://www.dmv.state.pa.us/pdotforms/vehicle_code/chapter37.pdf
Is the ageement in writing ?
Are you, or is the other person trying to prove fault ?
Will the insurance pay or not pay ?
It is easier for me to just pay in cash.
And no one is trying to prove fault. There is no need for a police report.
It doesn’t really matter what anyone on some internet discussion board says. Trying to get advice like this on an internet discussion board is basically silly. lion9car’s link is a great one, but even there, who the heck knows what of all of that is actually current? No judge or lawyer is going to care what you read on the internet the day of the accident.
Question is, why not get them involved? Gut feeling says to call regardless, something seems wrong.
Many many years ago I was dumb and foolish and was in a accident (a guy turned in front of me at a red-light)…and we didn’t call the police…I had slammed on my brakes and hit him about 5-10 mph…Not much damage to either vehicle…In fact I wasn’t even going to get mine fixed…it was old and rusted…and you could hardly tell it was in a accident…
Well when he got home…he told his insurance company the I RAN THE RED LIGHT…And it was my fault…it took me MONTHS to get this straightened out.
It may NOT be ill-legal…but it’s NOT a good thing to do…ESPECIALLY if you’re in the right.
You’re right it was:
? 3746. Immediate notice of accident to police department.
(a) General rule.–The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident shall immediately by the quickest means of communication give notice to the nearest office of a duly authorized police department if the accident involves:
(1) injury to or death of any person; or
(2) damage to any vehicle involved to the extent that it cannot be driven under its own power in its customary manner without further damage or hazard to the vehicle, other traffic elements, or the roadway, and therefore requires towing. (b) Duty of occupant if driver disabled.–Whenever the
driver of a vehicle is physically incapable of giving an immediate notice of an accident as required in subsection (a)
and there is another occupant in the vehicle at the time accident capable of doing so, the occupant shall make or to be given the notice not given by the driver.
of the cause
© Investigation by police officer.–Every accident reported to a police department required in this section be investigated by a police officer who shall provide each driver a signed statement that the accident was reported.
shall
Cross References. Section 3746 is referred to in sections 1503, 1785, 3745.1, 3747 of this title.
I absolutely agree with Mike. The absolute best thing you can do is call 911 and get a police report, even if the damage is minor. In NH there’s a minimum amount, but you never know what the other party is going to attempt to say or do, and the police report is the absolute evidence you need to prove the truth. I’ve know a number of cases where one party convinced the other to “kkep it off the record” and it rarely ends well.
Count my vote as one for calling the cops and having them make a report. If you’re involved in an accident that someone else caused the other party may stand there at the scene and gush about it all being their fault, etc.
However, a few hours or days later after some second thought and maybe with the prodding by some friends or spouses the other party starts to remember it differently and will then decide to go after you. It then becomes a he said, she said thing.
Wrong
Hes going to pay the other party i doubt hes in the wrong
scratch that
Never call the police unless absolutely necessary
The other guy would be compeltely insane to agree to this. Almost all body work requires a supplement beyond the original estimate. And what of potential problems that might arise later that insurance might have covered. Is he going to go back to you to cover these costs? What if he determines after the fact that he was injured after all?
Why not?
Mike, I’m new here, but did you in fact run the red light? Even if you didn’t, could the police tell that if you had called them at the time? Without evidence, how did you get it straightened out? Was there a traffic camera?
Because, for example, you could be called to court as a witness in a trial where the defendant doesn’t show up two times in a row because he’s being held for a psych evaluation. That’s two days of lost wages for you.
Or because you’re on your bicycle and have had one or twelve too many drinks.