There are about 200,000 car accidents in Florida every year. After an accident, people often wonder whether they have to or should they call their insurance company immediately. As a general principle when you’re involved in a car accident, you do need to take care of the most pressing needs first. You or someone involved in the crash may need medical attention and treatment. You probably need to call family member or friend, maybe even call in to work to tell them you’ll be late or not coming in at all. You may need to deal with the police or tow truck operator.
Calling your insurance company to report the crash is something you have to do, but you don’t have to do it immediately. Your insurance policy most likely contains language regarding your duty to report a loss to the company. Rarely have we seen an insurance policy that provides a definitive timeframe for reporting like within 24 hours or something. You may have been admitted to the hospital. You may be in extreme pain or even on prescribed pain medication that will prevent you from calling your insurance company for possibly days. Each circumstance is different, but so long as you notify your insurance company, which can be done by a family member or friend on your behalf, you should be fine.
You may wish to speak with an experienced car accident lawyer before having any detailed discussion about the accident with your insurance company. Especially if they start asking you questions about injuries and medical treatment. What you should tell your insurance company and when you should tell them can be tricky, so you may wish to have professional guidance through the process. Long story short, you do have a duty to report an accident to your own insurance company, but that does not require you to call them immediately after the crash.