Do NOT move your car!
By soccermom
@soccermom (3198)
United States
April 6, 2007 10:29am CST
Hi everybody! I'm made it to work this morning only to find out that half my policy holders were in accidents yesterday. Well, maybe not half, but it sure feels like it. I have had 2 of them that were in similar situations and I want to take this opportunity to remind you all of something. If you are in a car accident and the police are going to be called...DO NOT move your vehicle, whether it is blocking traffic or not, simply refuse to move it! Why? Because once you move your vehicle it gives the police the right to refuse to make out an accident report, because the scene of the accident is "tainted" so to speak. We have two very irrate policyholders because they got in rear enders and moved their vehicles and when the police came they refused to take a report. This means that due to comparitive negligence each party will have to file a claim with their companies, without a report and no paperwork to back their stories up with. I know it is silly, and many people will say you need to move your vehicle if it is blocking traffic, but you don't. Remembre, better safe than sorry!
4 people like this
9 responses
@fpd1955 (2074)
• United States
6 Apr 07
You're abso;utely right! I was the last car in a 6 car rearender. I was driving one of my roommates cars. There was no damage, as I was slightly tapped. I called my roommmate and she told me I could just leave. I told her I thought that would be bad, leaving the scene of an accident. I told her I couldn't find her insurance card and she said she doesn't leave it in the car. I didn't ask her why, as no matter what she told me would be a ridiculous answer. She had some strange ways of thinking. Therefore, she had to come to the scene in my car. She seemed put out, but if she had her proof of insurance in the car, like she is supposed to have, she wouldn't have been put out.
I never leave the scene of an accident and always carry proof of insurance in the car. I told her to always do the same. Hopefully, she does.
2 people like this
@soccermom (3198)
• United States
6 Apr 07
My boss got into a fender bender and didn't have an insurance card in his truck, the police called nad the cop was laughing, considering my boss is the insurance agent!
@princeworthy (1909)
• United States
7 Apr 07
Oh my goodness! I didn't know this! Thanks for letting me know, I have never been in a car accident when I was driving. I have been in many with other people driving and I hope to never be in another after the last one messed up my back for life. The policy holders insurance says that the limit on the policy will only pay out $50,000 per accident and my bills alone are over $20,000 and there were three other people involved. I don't see myself getting my bills paid in full. Sorry to be a little of topic, I just thought I would share a story about my horrible experience with car insurance. Sorry you had a bad day at work hon, I hope that Monday is better :)
@soccermom (3198)
• United States
8 Apr 07
That sucks the person that hit you had the lower bodily injury limits of insurance. I always try to talk my policyholders into at least 100/300, and if I can 250/500. With the cost of medical bills nowadays the extra couple bucks a month is worth it. Have you considered filing a civil suit against the driver if your bills exceed 50K? But then again, if their limits were so low it'd probably be like getting blood out of a turnip. But then you wouldn't be liable for them.
1 person likes this
@princeworthy (1909)
• United States
8 Apr 07
It would be like trying to get blood from a turnip! This was the first (and last) time I ever rode in a car with this girl. She is 18 and a total idiot, she pulled out in front of a truck on a truck route! She doesn't hold a job longer than 3 days and steals from her employers! I don't even speak to her or her family anymore.
1 person likes this
@princeworthy (1909)
• United States
2 May 07
Thank you for the best response soccermom! I am honored!
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
6 Apr 07
Thank you. I have heard that before so I don't care who rants and raves at me I am not moving my car even if perhaps I was responsible for the accident.
1 person likes this
@soccermom (3198)
• United States
7 Apr 07
I have never been in an accident, so I've never been in the situation. But my hubby has and it turned into this big yelling match because he got T-boned by an elderly man(Who wasn't even aware he had been in an accident he was so senile)and the wreck blocked a major road. Good thing my hubby was like too bad for you, we're not moving anything, because the old man was found to be at fault, had he moved the car who knows what would've happened.
@SpitFire179 (2536)
• Canada
7 Apr 07
yeah out here, your just not supposed to move your vehicle no matter what till the police get here, i think you can actually get fined for moving it, i can't remember. Stu (Hubby) was a firefighter and an ambulance attendant/driver and he tells me about all these rules time and time again, i guess i better start paying attention eh. haha.
1 person likes this
@mamasan34 (6518)
• United States
7 Apr 07
I agree. If there is an accident don't move your vehicle. It does taint the "scene". Police are very particular and have many regulations to abide by. It is very inconvenient for other drivers on the road, but under the circumstances, there is not other alternative. Your first concern is to make sure the police can file a report for you to file your insurance claim with it. That is great advice!
1 person likes this
@tinamwhite (3252)
• United States
6 Apr 07
I guess that I can see both sides..if you are blocking traffic there is an increased risk of causing someone else to be in an accident ...but if you move your car it is harder to actually determine what happened and who was at fault. Of course, if the police refuse to take an accident report if you move your car then I say "don't move it" because you have NO recourse at that point with your insurance company. The police are usually fairly quick to respond to an accident and I would always tell the dispatcher that my car is blocking traffic and will niot be moved until the police have arrived. Maybe this will give an incentive for the police to respond quicker. Thanks for letting us know about this as any of us can be involved in an "accident".
