It is critical that you perform your “duties after an accident or loss.”  Your car insurance contract will have language that states that if you fail to comply with the specified duties, the insurer has no duty to provide coverage!

There is no specific time period mentioned in the standard personal automobile policy regarding when you should report an accident.  However, you should be “reasonably prompt.”  What this means is going to be different in different legal jurisdictions.  The circumstances of the accident will also play a part.

In most jurisdictions the probable effect of the delay on the insurer is one of the key issues regarding whether or not your car insurance company will pay.  The reason for the requirement that you report an accident quickly is the fact that the longer you delay the harder it is for an insurance company to investigate the accident and potentially get another party or insurance company to pay for it.

A witness may move, die or forget the details of an accident just a short time after it happens.  Physical evidence can also be lost for various reasons including the fact that the person who hit you or got hit by you may have body work done.

How much time do you have to report an auto insurance claim? The technically correct legal answer involves a lot of variables, but if you just had an accident, report it as soon as possible.  Don’t however, rule out compensation for an older accident until you have spoken with an attorney who knows the laws of your state and the details of your accident.