What Happens If You Fail to Report a Car Accident in Pennsylvania?

If you’re a driver in Pennsylvania, you’re required by law to report a car accident, no matter how minor the accident, and no matter whether you caused it or not. Failing to report a car accident can lead to serious legal and financial consequences: license suspension, fines up to $2,500, and potential criminal charges.

Your insurance company could use the lack of report as the basis for denying your claim, leaving you responsible for medical and repair costs. 

Our seasoned Pennsylvania vehicle accident attorneys at Munley Law can help ensure you meet all reporting requirements and follow the law for the best outcome. Contact our legal team for a free consultation about your case.

Pennsylvania’s Accident Reporting Laws

What do you need to know if you’re a driver involved in a vehicle accident? First of all, no matter who is at fault in causing the accident, Pennsylvania law requires you to report any accident involving the following: 

• Injuries
• Death
• Vehicle damage that prevents safe driving
• Property damage over $5,000
• Commercial vehicles
• Government property

It’s important to note that the state uses a two-part reporting system which includes: 

• Police Notification. When an accident causes injury or death, you must call the police right away. The same applies if any vehicles cannot be safely driven from the accident scene. This immediate reporting requirement exists because a police report strengthens your position with insurance companies and protects all parties involved.
• Department of Transportation Notification. When police don’t respond to the scene, you must file a Driver’s Accident Report or Form AA-600 with PennDOT within five days and include detailed information about the crash, including the exact location, weather conditions, and contact information for all parties involved.

Pennsylvania defines a “reportable accident” more broadly than many drivers realize. While severe crashes clearly require reporting, the $5,000 damage threshold—often reached by what appears to be a minor accident—catches many drivers off guard. Paint damage, crumpled bumpers, and internal component damage quickly add up. When in doubt, filing a report protects you from future complications.

Commercial drivers face additional reporting requirements. Beyond the standard Form AA-600, they must notify their employer and may need to complete supplementary federal documentation. The same five-day deadline applies, but employers often require immediate notification of any accident, regardless of severity.

Properly reporting the accident protects your right to compensation and prevents the other driver’s insurance company from using your failure to report against you. The next section explains why and how this happens.

The Real Cost of Not Reporting Your Accident

While many drivers focus on the immediate aftermath of a crash, the long-term effects can sneak up on you. Some drivers only realize that they have failed to report a car accident, and how that will negatively impact them, when medical bills start arriving or when chronic pain develops weeks later.

The truth is, insurers closely examine car accident reports when evaluating injury claims. Without an official record of the crash, you may find yourself struggling to prove the connection between the car accident and your injuries. This becomes particularly problematic with injuries that develop gradually, like whiplash or back pain, which might not be apparent immediately after the crash. 

Your own insurance policy likely contains specific reporting requirements. Even with Pennsylvania’s no-fault insurance system, failing to report a car accident can give your insurance company grounds to deny coverage for your own medical treatment. This means you could lose access to your medical benefits coverage, which pays for your healthcare costs regardless of who caused the accident.

Even if you initially thought you weren’t hurt and didn’t seek immediate medical attention, new symptoms can develop days or weeks after a crash, and the situation becomes more complicated in these cases. Pennsylvania law allows seriously injured people to step outside the no-fault system and seek compensation from the at-fault driver, but this right depends on the documentation from the accident. Without a proper accident report, you might lose the ability to seek compensation beyond your no-fault benefits. 

Medical Providers Look for Car Accident Reports When Treating Car Crash Injuries

A documented accident report helps establish a clear timeline of your injuries and supports your insurance claims for treatment. Without this documentation, you might face questions about the cause of your injuries, potentially affecting both your medical care and your ability to recover compensation.

Out-of-pocket expenses add up quickly after an accident. Ambulance fees, hospital bills, medication costs, and ongoing therapy create financial stress for many injury victims. Insurance coverage for these expenses often depends on following reporting procedures from the start. Missing deadlines or failing to document your injuries properly could leave you responsible for costs that should have been covered.

How Insurance Companies Use the Failure to Report Against Injury Claims

Insurance companies treat unreported accidents differently from properly documented crashes, especially when it comes to injury claims. Your own insurer might deny coverage for medical treatment, while the other driver’s insurer could refuse to negotiate, knowing you’ve weakened your position by not reporting.

When you make an injury claim after an unreported accident, insurance adjusters often question the timing and severity of your injuries. Without a report, they may argue that your injuries came from a different incident since there’s no official record linking them to the car crash. This skepticism increases with soft tissue injuries or other conditions that don’t show immediate symptoms.

As mentioned above, Pennsylvania’s insurance system allows seriously injured people to seek compensation beyond their no-fault benefits. However, this full-tort right becomes much harder to exercise without a proper accident report. Insurance companies know that juries and courts view unreported accidents suspiciously, which can reduce your chances of receiving fair compensation for serious injuries.

Your medical coverage under your auto insurance policy typically requires prompt accident reporting. Missing this requirement gives the insurance company a valid reason to deny payment for your medical care. This leaves you responsible for bills that should have been covered by your policy, potentially affecting both your current treatment and future medical needs related to the accident.

In addition, proving any delayed or worsened injuries stemmed from the accident becomes extremely difficult without an accident report. Insurance companies often exploit this documentation gap to minimize or deny legitimate injury claims.

The car accident attorneys at Munley Law understand how insurance companies evaluate injury claims. We know how to address reporting issues and fight for the outcome you deserve. Call now  to connect with a car accident lawyer for a free review of your injury claim.

Protecting Your Right to Compensation After a Car Accident

Time matters when building a strong injury claim in Pennsylvania. Beyond filing the required accident reports, seeking medical attention strengthens your injury claim. Emergency room records, doctor’s notes, and treatment plans provide vital evidence of your injuries. Medical professionals can identify potential problems that might not be obvious to you, including internal injuries or conditions that could worsen over time.

In the meantime, keep a record of how your injuries affect your daily life. Missing work, canceling activities, or needing help with basic tasks all factor into your claim. Medical bills tell only part of the story—your complete damages include lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and the impact of the incident on your quality of life.

Pennsylvania law allows two years from the accident date to file a personal injury lawsuit. However, waiting to report your accident or start your claim can damage your case. Evidence disappears, witnesses’ memories fade, and insurance companies become increasingly skeptical of delayed claims. Each day that passes without correct documentation makes it harder to prove the full extent of your injuries.

The legal team at Munley Law has helped thousands of injured Pennsylvania drivers recover fair compensation for their accident injuries. Contact us at for a free case evaluation and learn how we can help protect your rights after an accident.

Get Help With Your Pennsylvania Car Accident Case

Pennsylvania’s accident reporting requirements exist to protect those injured in a vehicle collision, but a single missed deadline can jeopardize your right to compensation. The hours and days after an accident matter most for your injury claim. Having experienced legal guidance during this time can make the difference between a denied claim and full compensation for your injuries.

At Munley Law, we’ve seen how unreported accidents affect personal injury claims. Many of our clients first contacted us after trying to handle insurance companies on their own. We understand the stress you’re facing—mounting medical costs, time away from work, and the physical pain of your injuries create enough challenges without adding insurance disputes.

Our car accident attorneys help clients document their accidents properly, meet filing deadlines, and build strong cases for compensation. When insurance companies try to use missing reports to deny claims, we fight back with proven legal strategies that get results.

Don’t let a missed deadline or incomplete accident report affect your future. Call Munley Law now for your free consultation. Our experienced legal team will review your case, explain your options, and help you take the right steps to protect your rights. There’s no fee unless we win your case.