One of the most seriously penalized vehicular accident situations is in the case of a hit and run. Leaving the scene of an accident is an offense punishable by law, though the actual penalties incurred by a hit and run will vary from state to state in the United States. Furthermore, the penalties that are associated with a hit and run accident will also vary depending on the circumstances of the accident.

Examples of hit and run situations include leaving the scene of an accident caused by drinking and driving, or leaving the scene of an accident in which a person was seriously injured or killed. However, common penalties that are associated with a hit and run accident include: serious fines, suspension of a driver’s license, civil action by victims of the hit and run accident, and imprisonment in more severe cases. 

People may not need to file an accident report in order to collect damages for the occurrence of a car accident. However, filing an accident report is typically recommended in order to most strongly ensure insurance will cover a car accident. 

To this end, after a car accident occurs, the individual involved can collect information related to the accident in a piece of documentation, as may be available either through the local police station or on the website for the particular jurisdiction’s Department of Motor Vehicles. 

An accident report may not be required by the particular insurance company which covers the driver involved in the car accident, but the company is likely to be able to provide insurance more effectively and efficiently due to the accident report. A car accident report should thus be issued as soon as possible after the car accident.