Accidents can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone, and without a warning or time to prepare. According to a report, more than 37,000 people lose their lives to road accidents each year in the US, around 2.35 million people are subject to injuries or disabilities due to accidents, and these accidents amount to $230.6 billion in costs (around $820 per person). No matter how many precautions you take while driving, you still might get into an accident with no fault of yours, as many times you just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. While what you do before the accident might not have such a big impact on the situation, what you do after an accident is very important, and is under your control.

In an unfortunate instance of an accident, the first thing you need to do is keep your calm and make sure that you are alright and check to see if any injuries have been incurred by you or other people involved in the accident. If there are any injuries, you should immediately call for emergency services and inform the police.

It is very important to make a police accident report after an accident, even if it is a minor one. The Texas law requires the individual to report the accident to the police if the damages exceed $1,000, or there is an injury or death. If you do not report the accident despite the conditions mentioned earlier, you might face a fine of $5,000. Even if the police do not come to the scene due to whatever reason, you still might have to file an accident report with the Texas Department of Transportation.

The essential things that must be included in the police accident report are:

Witness accounts

Whether you think what they have to say is of any importance or not, the statements of any witnesses present on the scene must be included in the police accident report, as these statements might help you out in any future legal actions. The statements are usually taken by the police but in case no police are present, you can record these on your mobile phone.

Details

Complete details need to be included in the report including the place, time, date of the accident, the people involved in the accident, details of the vehicles involved in the accident, and how and why the accident took place. The details should be as rich as possible as you never know what information might be useful in the future if there are any lawsuits or insurance claims. The details of the conditions in which the accident took place also need to be mentioned in the report including the weather, road and lighting conditions at the time and place of the accident.

Injuries and damage

The report should include the injuries incurred by the people involved in the accident and the damage incurred by the cars involved in the accident.