Should I tell my car insurance company about the accident?

A: So, you were in a Pennsylvania car accident. Maybe the other driver asked you not to report it. Maybe the other driver promised to pay for the damage. Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, “Should I report this accident to my insurance company?”

If you were hurt in a car accident, you should promptly notify your insurance company. Every car insurance policy requires some reasonably prompt notice of an accident, and, if you fail to provide this notice and the delay harms your insurance company’s ability to investigate the case, you may lose your rights under your policy.

Besides, a promise to make things right at the accident scene is easily made. Once the bill shows up, it is often less easily kept. Our experience is that people often fail, or refuse, to keep those promises, and then the innocent driver ends up with more hassle than they deserve. So, hurt or not, at-fault or not, if you’ve been in a car accident, report it to your insurance company.