Good morning ellis192-ga and thank you for your question.
According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Motor Vehicle Crash
Operator Report you should file a report within 5 days of the accident
if:
1. You are the operator of a vehicle involved in a crash where the
damage to any one vehicle or property is over $1000;
2. If there is an injury to any person.
You should NOT file a report if the crash occurred on a private road,
driveway, private parking lot or other private way.
Not everyone reports accidents and I don?t believe there are any laws
or statutes that state you MUST report them. However, keep in mind
that filing the report is important and extremely helpful because it
is used for many purposes, such as statistical reports that identify
locations with a large number of crashes and improving dangerous
highways and intersections. They also aide in the process of
developing highway safety public information programs and programs to
save lives and reduce highway injuries.
You can find a PDF version of the report you need to fill out at: (
http://www.ci.newton.ma.us/Police/forms/accident_form.pdf ). Once
completed, they can be sent to:
Crash Records
Registry of Motor Vehicles
P.O. Box 199100
Boston, MA 02119-9100
Please be aware that if you were in an automobile accident, you have a
3 year statute of limitations in MA to bring a case against the other
party. A statute of limitations is a law which places a time limit on
pursuing a legal remedy in relation to wrongful conduct. After the
expiration of the statutory period, unless a legal exception applies,
the injured person loses the right to file a lawsuit seeking money
damages or other relief.
Working in a law office that primarily works in insurance defense, 95%
of our cases are auto accidents and the following questions are
typical questions we would ask in our discovery phase.
1. Who were the drivers of the vehicles involved?
2. Did all drivers have driver's licenses? Be sure to get the
driver's license numbers and addresses of the drivers!
3. Did any of the driver's appear to be under the influence of
alcohol or drugs? (Write down who and why you think they were and who
else observed that same thing. After the effects wear off it would be
your word against theirs.)
4. Were any passengers in the vehicles? Get their names and addresses.
5. Were any pedestrians involved in the accident? Get their names and addresses.
6. Did any person involved in the accident report any personal injury
shortly after the accident? Who are they, and where do they live?
7. Was medical assistance rendered at the scene of the accident?
8. What personal injury did the injured person report? Did anyone say
"I'm not hurt"?
9. What was the actual location of the accident?
10. Were there any witnesses to the accident (other than those
directly involved in the accident)? Get the names, addresses, and
telephone numbers of all witnesses.
11. In what direction were the vehicles traveling just prior to the accident?
12. At what time of day did the accident occur?
13. What were the weather conditions at the time of the accident?
14. Was there anything "wrong" with the vehicles before the accident,
such as driving with a broken headlight at night, or with bald tires?
15. Was there any damage to the vehicles as a result of the accident?
(Even if there wasn't, that does not mean that someone may not have
been injured, even with a "soft tissues injury".) What parts of the
vehicle were damaged?
16. Who were the registered owners of the vehicles (names and addresses)?
17. Were all vehicles involved in the accident insured? What are the
names of the insurance companies and the policy numbers? (If they said
how much insurance they had, record that too.)
18. Did any of the vehicles need to be towed from the scene of the accident?
19. How did the accident occur?
20. Did anyone accept responsibility for the accident, such as by
saying "It was my fault, I am sorry. I was speeding / not paying
attention / not wearing my glasses / distracted / tired / late for
work / in a hurry / my coffee had just spilled ... etc."? If so, write
it down.
21. Did anyone else say something to indicate that s/he too was at
least partially at fault -- such as "I should have seen you but I was
on my cell phone / I've been taking these pills / my eyesight isn't
what it used to be after dark, etc"?
22. Did the police come? If so, did they issue anyone a ticket? Which
officers were present?
As much basic information as possible should be gathered immediately
after the accident occurred. As time passes, memories tend to fade and
new versions of the chain of events are created. Putting the basic
information down on paper helps later when liability for the accident
begins to be examined.
Additioanlly, if you have been in an automobile accident and you have
been injured or there were injuries to others, you should not only
consult a doctor immediately but also a lawyer who specializes in
automobile accident and personal injuries. I am not a lawyer and
cannot give you legal advice, but if you supply me the city & county
you live in, I can help you find a reputable attorney.
If this answer requires further explanation, please request
clarification before rating it, and I'll be happy to look into this
further.
Nenna-GA
Google Answers Researcher
Sources:
Massachusetts Statute of Limitations
( http://www.expertlaw.com/library/limitations_by_state/Massachusetts.html )
Google Search Term
Massachusetts Accident Report
( ://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=massachusetts+accident+report&spell=1 ) |
