You are required by the New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law to file an crash (accident) report if you are involved in any crash where there is damage to the property of one individual (including yourself) that is more than $1,000. The report must be filed within 10 days.
(NOTE: A Report of Motor Vehicle Accident must be filed with the Department of Motor Vehicles within 10 days of a collision if the collision caused damage over $1,000 to the property of any one person. Failure to do so can result in suspension of your driver's license.)
As a consequence of failing to report a qualifying accident to the NYS DMV, you may be charged with a misdemeanor that can result in the suspension or loss of your driver's license and/or vehicle registration.
It's better if you file a third party claim directly with the other person's insurance. That will keep your insurance rates from rising (yes, your rates can rise if you file a claim with your own insurance even if you're not at fault.) You can't use a delay in processing the claim as an excuse to run up more expenses.
Always File a Claim, Regardless of Who Was At-Fault One of the primary questions we receive from clients who have been in an accident is whether they should report the accident to their own auto insurance carrier, particularly when the accident was not their fault. And the answer to that question is: always.
Reporting a Car Insurance Claim If you're filing a first-party insurance claim, call the number on your insurance card or go online to report the accident. If you're filing a third-party insurance claim, you should obtain insurance information from the other driver to contact their insurer.
In terms of deadlines for reporting car accidents to insurance companies in California, the specific requirements vary from one insurance company to the next. Most insurance companies require their policyholders to report accidents within 30 days of the accident.
It's only when you file a claim that you may face a rate adjustment. By reporting the accident, you'll be covered if the damage or injuries are significant but if you don't need to make a claim, you've risked nothing.
Even in at-fault states, where the other driver's insurer pays, there are several reasons why you should always call your own auto insurance company first, including: Some insurers will help you negotiate a settlement with the other driver's insurance company.