Do I Have to Tell the DMV About My Crash?

Who should alert the DMV, and do you have to? After any crash, drivers are often worried about getting points put on their licensee or the DMV finding out in a way that would put their ability to drive at risk. There’s also trouble for drivers who have had multiple crashes in a short time frame.

Now, if you’re looking at your record and worried about what to do with your crash, then you should contact your local Houston auto attorney. To that extent, you might need access to resources or really just get some peace of mind about what to really expect after a wreck, especially in terms of your driving record.

Do You Have to Report a Crash to Your Insurance?

Absolutely you should report every single wreck, bump, or scrape to your insurance company. That doesn’t mean that you need to file a claim for every single incident, but it does mean that you should call and let them know. You can do this by contacting their customer service line and tell them that you’re informing them of a crash, but not filing a claim.

Reporting these crashes to your insurance can keep you in good standing because if another driver files the claim and you didn’t, the insurance provider might drop your coverage. They expect all of their drivers to report all crashes and instances right away. You should report them to your insurance, the police, and the DMV. The standard is a 30-day window with few exceptions for victims who are medically unable to report the crash. Basically, they’ll only give you some exceptions if you’re in a coma.

Who Involves the DMV?

The DMV will gain information on your wreck from the police. The Houston police will issue citations associated with the wreck, and those will be reported to the DMV. What happens at that point is that the DMV will award points to your license number if you received any citations. With the Houston modified comparative fault system, it’s very common for police to issue citations to both drivers.

The issued citations can play a role in the fault and resolving the wreck, but many people worry about having too many points on their licenses. While there are ways to reduce the number of points that the DMV knows about and has on record, there is not anything that you can do to remove the wreck and the citations from your Texas driving record.

Will You Get Points on Your Record or License?

If you had any traffic infractions associated with the wreck, then yes, you should expect some points to appear on your license. Most of the time, people don’t get any trouble or strife over the points on their license until they hit a point where they start suspending the right to drive.

More than four moving violations that happen in a year will result in a suspension, and within a 2-year period, the DMV will consider suspension. Texas is very much of the mindset that driving is a right. There are many options for public transit, and no one in Houston must drive, and that means that they can suspect a license. They may even add charges to reinstate a license if there were certain violations associated with the suspension.

For example, if the suspicion includes a DUI, then you will likely pay a hefty fee to get your license back. But for people who just had a bad string of luck, they would need to file the appropriate forms.

Will Your Insurance Policy Tell The DMV?

Your insurance may tell the DMV, but it’s not likely that they will usually the communication goes the other way. That means that people involved are more likely to get notice to their insurance company that they had a moving violation than your DMV is to know about the violation from the insurance provider.

Involve a Houston Auto Collision Attorney

After you get in a crash, it might seem like it’s all too minor for you to alert the DMV or even your insurance. The thing is that you can alert the DMV and your insurance with little risk of getting points on your record, especially if you weren’t at fault. Your Houston attorney at (713) L‑A‑W‑S‑U‑I‑T can help you build your case for compensation and your file your claim.

A Houston auto accident lawyer should serve as a solid resource and put many of your concerns at ease if you’re looking for ways to get around the DMV or your insurance attributing negative effects onto your file or record.

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