Social Question

jca2's avatar

Where you live, will the police come if called, for an auto accident if there are no injuries?

Asked by jca2 (16270points) August 25th, 2022

I’m in a FB group where there are some people saying that where they live, if there’s an auto accident without injuries, the police will not come to the scene. I have heard other people saying that, too, not just on FB.

In my experience, the police will come to the scene if called regardless of whether or not there are injuries.

I can’t imagine calling the police and having them ask “were there any injuries” and if the answer was “no,” then them saying “we’re sorry, we won’t come.” I don’t doubt it happens or it’s the policy in some jurisdictions, I just can’t imagine it.

I always feel it’s best to get the police to the scene to do a report so there are no misunderstandings about what happened. The police will ask both parties what happened, and then nobody can logically deny their involvement. Of course, people can always change their story but the police will note the damage to the vehicles and have the details in the report.
In your experience, where you live, will the police come to the scene of an accident even if there were no injuries?

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22 Answers

Dutchess_III's avatar

Yes. They will come. Here. In my town of 1,000, they don’t have anything better to do.
I can’t imagine that they wouldn’t. What if there is a lawsuit over whose fault it is?

KNOWITALL's avatar

No. You go file a police report and insurance fights it out, then you’re done.

Response moderated (Flame-Bait)
SQUEEKY2's avatar

If traffic isn’t affected, and there are no injuries then most times no they won’t attend,they will just tell you to file an accident report.

chyna's avatar

Yes they will come, but not if it is on a place like a grocery store parking lot.

janbb's avatar

I think they will come.

Blackwater_Park's avatar

Yes they come, they’re required to for the police report. That’s how it works here anyway.

LadyMarissa's avatar

They still come out in my tiny little town. Actually, this town is so small that they get excited when they get called to a wreck because it gives them something to do!!!

I left DC 35 years ago & they had already stopped coming out to any accident “without injuries” back then. As a matter of fact, IF you called, the first Q was “Are there any injuries?”. IF the answer was “no”, the next Q was “Are the vehicles derivable?” IF the answer was “yes”, they’d instruct you to swap pertinent info & go on our merry way. They had also already stopped going onto “private property” to even take a report as well. At first it was a nightmare, but the insurance companies learned how to deal with it!!! Now days, most drivers have mounted cameras that show exactly what happened, so the police report is no longer as relevant as it once was. I can only imagine that DC is much stricter now.

LuckyGuy's avatar

Yes. They will come if they are called.

They even came when I locked my keys in my car. It gives them a chance to use their special tools.

I have not called for an accident in over 15 years but I doubt the procedure has changed.

SnipSnip's avatar

Yes, they come. And usually more than one car comes.

Tropical_Willie's avatar

In my state I had someone cut the corner too tight taking a left turn on to the road I was on. Nailed my left front corner of car, I called the cops, she got two citations and her sister’s insurance company paid with a check the next week. No injuries ! But between the two vehicles $2000.00 worth of damage. That was 15 years ago.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Yes. I would think insurance companies would need a police report to make their decision.

RedDeerGuy1's avatar

I think the police would come if damages exceed $1,000.

RayaHope's avatar

The police always come when called, as far as I know. Not just for an accident but for domestic abuse or loud noise complaints and all kinds of stuff.

smudges's avatar

@Dutchess_III If it’s a no-fault jurisdiction it doesn’t matter who is at fault.

Ours come unless they’re really busy.

Dutchess_III's avatar

Fault or no fault is for the insurance companies to decide. And they need need a police report to determine that.

Mimishu1995's avatar

I would guess yes, although I don’t recall seeing anyone calling the police on that matter. People here would rather exchange insult then get the police involved, because the general consensus is that the police is a waste of time and getting involved with the law would do more harm than good.

I was involved in some accidents before. Sometimes I got some big scratches on me. And yet none of those incidents involved the police. Just good old insult and kind strangers caring for the injured.

raum's avatar

I vaguely recall them saying that they didn’t need to come if the damage wasn’t over a certain amount and no one was injured. But that they could come if we wanted them to write a report. But that it wasn’t necessary?

I’m in California.

HP's avatar

The deal here is that the cops will definitely show up and quickly for an injury or if either vehicle is impeding traffic. If you dial 911 to summon a cop, you will be grilled on the extent of damage and location of the accident. Any mention of an arterial street or intersection is also guaranteed a quick response, otherwise a leisurely visit if any is likely.

smudges's avatar

@Dutchess_III You’d think so, but that’s not the way it is in no-fault jurisdictions. The insurance of each person in an accident pays for their person…there’s no fault assigned. I know, crazy!

janbb's avatar

@smudges At least in our state, which is no-fault, if there is bodily injury, fault is assigned and the injured party goes after the liability of the other party. No-fault is only for physical damage.

smudges's avatar

^^That makes sense. I assume my state is like yours as far as the bodily injury. I got in an accident that was clearly the other person’s fault. My insurance paid for my car…it was something like $34,000 because the entire passenger side from front to back was totaled.

My car was about 2 months old. 8^( But it was good as new when they finished repairing it for a month!

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