How people handle the immediate fallout of a car crash can have a major impact on their options for years to come. Missouri requires that drivers carry insurance and report the collisions that they experience if they result in expensive property damage or injury to any of the people involved. However, it is quite common for the drivers at fault for collisions in Missouri and elsewhere to try to seek out ways to avoid personal responsibility.
One of the more common tactics involves requesting that the other people involved in the crash don’t report the incident to the authorities. The drivers at fault for a wreck may ask to handle the matter directly without notifying the police or the insurance companies about the collision. Those who don’t want a frustrating and expensive claim or to wait for the police at the side of the road might agree to such a suggestion, not realizing they put themselves that have marked disadvantage by doing so.
When motorists understand why others propose solutions that are technically outside the system, they will be in a better position to respond accordingly and protect themselves. Why do the people at fault for crashes commonly ask to settle the matter on their own?
They may not have insurance
Missouri law requires a crash report when there is at least $500 worth of property damage or injury to anyone involved. However, the law is also very clear that cases involving uninsured motorists also require a crash report. An uninsured motorist who talks someone else out of reporting a collision may not have any means of providing compensation and might simply want to avoid the police discovering that they have violated the law.
They may be under the influence or subject to warrants
Those willing to suggest breaking the law to do so may already know that they have violated the law in some significant manner. An individual who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol may know that they don’t look that way but that they would fail a test. Those who have an outstanding warrant or who were just involved in criminal activity elsewhere also have a reason to avoid interacting with the police because of a collision.
It is almost always in the best interests of a motorist to follow the official collision reporting process required by Missouri state law. Recognizing the unsavory motives that often underpin a request to handle a crash without the police involved may help someone feel more confident about their decision to file a crash report.
