As car accident attorneys in St. Louis, this is a question we get asked a lot. Car accidents are always a scary situation – regardless of how minor or major the damage is – getting into a car accident is always an unsettling event.
Most times a car accident takes place, at least one of the parties hopes to avoid filing a police report with the hopes of avoiding an increase in auto insurance costs.
In some cases, both parties would even want to avoid contacting the police or filing a car accident claim due to the hassle that many believe comes with the process.
The Missouri Department of Revenue states that you are required to file a car accident police report if:
According to Missouri Code section 516.120, the statute of limitations on filing a car accident claim is five years.
Knowing how long you have to file a car accident claim in Missouri is an essential part of receiving compensation after your accident.
Although the statute of limitations for filing a car accident lawsuit is 5 years in Missouri, filing as quickly as possible is an extremely important step in the road to receiving fair compensation.
The longer you wait, the more you and the other parties, witnesses, and first responders will forget about the incident. If there is a long delay in filing your police report, the defendant’s insurance company or attorney will also almost certainly argue that if it was a serious enough car accident to file a claim, you would have done so sooner.
With that said, Missouri Law says you are legally allowed to file a claim up to five years after the accident, so do not feel like it is a lost cause if you have waited an extended period of time after the accident took place.
Related: What should I do if my police report is incorrect?
Filing any claim or filling out any type of report with the police or local government always seems like a daunting task, and most people want to avoid putting any financial hardships on another individual, but being educated on how to file a police report is always an essential resource to have for automobile drivers in Missouri.
The process of filing a report is as simple as calling the police after you have been in an accident. We suggest you contact the authorities immediately after an accident (once you have reached a safe place out of harm’s way).