Wisconsin drivers are required to report motor vehicle accidents that involve:
Those involved in the accident are required to report the accident to the police department, the sheriff’s department, the traffic department or the Wisconsin State Patrol. If a law enforcement officer responds to the accident, they have 10 days to file a report with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation, or WisDOT.
In some cases, however, law enforcement may not respond to a car accident. In those situations, the individuals involved in the accident are required to report the crash to WisDOT. Drivers may get a letter from WisDOT requesting them to complete a report. If you receive this request from WisDOT, then you are required to complete the report. If you do not file a report or complete a report sent to you by WisDOT, then you may be fined for your failure to comply.
If law enforcement does not respond to your accident, then you will need to submit an accident report to WisDOT. To do this, you will need to complete an online form titled “Wisconsin Driver Report of Crash DT4002.” You can find this form online HERE.
Before you begin filling out the online form, however, you should gather the information that you will need to complete the report. WisDOT will request the following information:
WisDOT will also request information about the accident. Specifically, the department will ask you to describe the accident and who was involved. For example, you will need to indicate whether the accident involved a motor vehicle, an animal, a bicyclist, a pedestrian, a parked vehicle or unoccupied vehicle, a fixed object or a non-fixed object.
In addition, you will be asked to discuss any injuries that occurred as a result of the car accident. The report will ask you to indicate whether you have suspected serious injuries (including deep lacerations, broken bones, paralysis, unconsciousness or significant loss of blood), suspected minor injuries (like minor cuts), or possible injuries (such as whiplash, limping or nausea).
Completing the online accident report form should take less than an hour to complete. Not only will reporting the accident help you avoid any potential fines, but you will also be able to use the accident report when seeking damages for your injuries.
After an accident, your insurance company will likely request a copy of the accident report. In fact, before an insurance claim can be paid, the driver responsible for causing the accident must be identified. The driver at fault for the accident will then be responsible for compensating the other driver for his or her injuries and property damage.
Often, the accident report will be used to determine who was at fault for a car accident. In the event that there is a dispute regarding who is responsible for causing the accident, the official accident report will serve as the basis for an investigation into how the accident occurred.
If you have been injured in a car accident in Wisconsin, it is important that either a law enforcement official or you file an accident report with the WisDOT. The report will help identify the at fault party who caused the accident and ultimately help you recover compensation for your injuries.
When injured in a crash, you should also consult an experienced Wisconsin personal injury attorney - Natasha Misra Law. Our law office can help you with the accident reporting process and assist you in obtaining a copy of the accident report. Call our office at (414) 635-2858 for a free consultation.
Automobile insurance is a contractual agreement between you and your insurance company. Your insurance company promises to provide compensation for injuries or property damage that you suffer as the result of an automobile accident in exchange for a premium.
Wisconsin drivers are required by Wisconsin’s Financial Responsibility Law to carry automobile insurance. At minimum, your auto insurance policy must provide liability coverage for the following amounts:
Additionally, Wisconsin drivers are required to carry uninsured motorist coverage with a minimum bodily injury coverage of at least $25,000 for injury or death of one person and $50,000 for injury or death of two or more people.
Personal automobile insurance covers you (the named insured), your spouse, other relatives living in the same household and anyone you give permission to driver your automobile unless excluded from the policy.
If you are responsible for an auto accident that injures other people, bodily injury liability coverage protects your personal assets up to the stated amount of coverage for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, as well as other losses sustained by the injured individuals. Bodily injury coverage does not cover your injuries that you experience as a result of an accident that is your fault.
Property damage liability coverage, on the other hand, pays for property damage that you cause as a result of a car accident. This coverage pays for any damage up to your insurance policy’s limit. This coverage includes damages to someone else’s vehicle, someone else’s personal property and structural damage to property you do not own such as a street sign or light pole.
This coverage is for you, your family and other passengers in your vehicle who sustain injuries when struck by a vehicle who has no insurance or by a hit and run driver. This coverage also covers you and your family members if injured as a pedestrian when struck by a driver with no insurance or a driver who hits you and leaves the scene of an accident. The amount covered is based on the policy limits purchased.
Although underinsured (UIM) coverage is not mandatory, many Wisconsin driver choose to carry this type of coverage for further protection. You should choose to have UIM coverage in case the at fault party does not have sufficient policy limits to cover your losses. UIM coverage increases the bodily injury protection to you and the passengers in your vehicle if the limits of the at fault party are less than your UIM coverage limits.
Medical payments coverage is a benefit that pays for medical expenses or funeral expenses for you or any others injured or killed in an auto accident in your vehicle regardless of fault. This type of coverage also covers you or your family members as pedestrians if hit by a car or riding as a passenger in someone else’s vehicle.
This type of coverage is useful to pay for co-payments or deductibles that your health insurance does not cover, as well as applicable out-of-pocket expenses.
While Wisconsin’s Financial Responsibility Law requires drivers to carry bodily injury liability coverage, property damage liability coverage, and uninsured motorist coverage, many drivers choose to purchase more coverage than is required by law to protect their personal assets after an accident.
This coverage will repair damages to your vehicle or pay in the event your vehicle has been declared totaled from a collision with another vehicle or object, even if you are at fault for the accident.
Even though collision coverage is not mandatory in the State of Wisconsin, financial institutions (lienholders) may require you to take out collision coverage to protect their interest at the time of a collision.
Comprehensive coverage is an elective coverage that pays for damage to your vehicle caused by covered events such as theft, vandalism, flooding, hail, broken glass, falling objects and even hitting an animal such as a deer.
If you have been injured in an auto accident, you should discuss your options with an experienced Wisconsin personal injury attorney. Natasha Misra Law helps Wisconsin accident victims seek the compensation they deserve for their injuries. If you have been in an accident and suffered from bodily injury or property damage, you should not have to bear the economic burden. Together, we will look at the facts of your case and uncover all potential sources of recovery.
Call our office today at (414) 635-2833 for a free consultation.
My law practice is dedicated to helping people who have suffered injuries in accidents which were not their fault. Born and raised in Milwaukee, I come from a family of medical professionals. My background and experience help me understand and represent individuals injured in accidents.
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