If you don't stop and report your car accident like Va. Code § 46, 2-894 requires that you could face criminal consequences. Under the law, you could be charged with a hit and run crime. In the state of Virginia, car accidents that occur on a public road or highway must be reported to the police.
In addition, if there is an injury involved in the accident, that injury must also be listed in the police report of the accident. Police officers investigating the accident also have the right to ask you and any other drivers involved to prove that they have valid insurance coverage. If you are involved in an unreportable accident, you may consider filing an accident report so that a record of what happened is left. Let them know that you had an accident and provide them with all the details, including information about the other driver and information about the vehicles involved.
Reporting a car accident is also important when it comes to filing an insurance compensation claim. That said, if you are convicted as a driver (not a passenger) of a vehicle in an accident that caused injury or death to another person and you didn't stop or reveal your identity at the scene of the accident, the DMV will suspend your driver's license for one year. In the report, the person may indicate that there is reason to believe that the other vehicle involved in the accident was not insured. The Department of Motor Vehicles is the government agency responsible for maintaining all accident reports.
If you were riding in the vehicle as a passenger and were at least 16 years old at the time of the accident and the driver does not reasonably stop or search for the owner or custodian of the unattended vehicle or property, or leave a note as indicated above, you should ensure that a report is filed with the police within 24 hours of the accident. To find out if this is an option in your state, you'll need to contact your local police department or DMV. You must also provide reasonable assistance to anyone injured in an accident in which you are involved, including taking the injured person to a doctor, surgeon, or hospital if it is clear that medical treatment is needed or requested. However, if the accident causes injury, death, or any damage to property, you must report your name, address, driver's license number, and vehicle registration number to the state police or local law enforcement agency, anyone who has been hit or injured, any driver or occupant of another vehicle that has been hit and the owner or custodian of the damaged property.
The driver will also provide reasonable assistance to any person injured in such an accident, including taking them to a doctor, surgeon, or hospital if it is obvious that medical treatment is needed or requested by the injured person. The DMV maintains all accident reports in the Commonwealth, and you can contact the DMV to request a copy of your police report on the accident. If the owner or custodian of such damaged vehicle or property cannot be found, the driver will leave a note or other sufficient information, including driver identification and contact information, in a visible place at the scene of the accident and report the accident in writing within 24 hours to the state police or local law enforcement agency.
