How long do you have to report an accident to your insurance company and what happens if you dont report it?

Answer 1

Most policies state that you agree to report the claim as soon as possible after the incident. A general rule of thumb is 30 days. As far as what will happen if you don't report it depends on the circumstances. Most policies state you agree to report all accidents. However, if it's damage to your own vehicle in a single car accident and you have no collision coverage and you and no passengers were injured, there really is no claim to make under the policy because there is no coverage to pay for the damages. If you do call your insurance company to report it, they will simply mark the file 'report purposes only' and it will never be an open claim. If later on you add collision coverage to your vehicle and then try to claim that old damage under the newly added collision coverage, it would be considered fraudulent. If you want to make a claim for an accident that you previously had not reported, it's best to call and make the claim and let the adjuster determine if the claim is still valid under the state laws and if they will honor the policy contract even though you didn't report it in a timely manner. There is a statute of limitations in which you have a certain time frame in which you can file a claim for damages or bodily injury. The time frame varies by state.