Under your state's Motor Vehicle Code, you may have a responsibility to file an accident report with the state. In some states, the failure to timely file an accident report may result in a penalty. We recommend that you check with your state's motor vehicle department for your obligations under the law. Many motor vehicle departments have websites with instructions and forms.
California customers only
In CA you are required to file an SR-1 any time you are in an accident which results in any injuries or if there is property damage to either party exceeding $1,000 as a result of the accident. This is regardless of fault.
The Department of Motor Vehicles requires the form to be completed and sent to them within 10 days of the accident. This form can be picked up at any local DMV office or downloaded at their website: www.dmv.ca.gov/forms/forms.htm. From the Forms Main Page choose the Accident Involvement link under General Use. If you have any questions related to filling out this form, please contact the DMV directly at 1-800-777-0133. For the hearing impaired, the TTY number is 1-800-368-4327. The address for the Department of Motor Vehicles is:
Department of Motor Vehicles
Financial Responsibility
Mail Stations J237
Sacramento, CA 94284-0001
New York customers only
The State of New York requires that you complete and return the MV-104 form to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Please refer to the form for details on how to complete it. The DMV will return any form that is not completed in its entirety. If a claim related to this accident is made against you, we will need this form in order to defend you. You can find this form here: https://dmv.ny.gov/forms/mv104.pdf. Important: Failure to file this form within 10 days could result in the suspension of your license, your registration, or both. Whenever you file a physical damage claim under your auto insurance policy, the State of New York requires a Certificate of Automobile Repair to verify that authorized repairs are complete. The State requires that the Certificate of Automobile Repair form be completed and signed by both you and a representative of the repair shop after the repairs are completed. The Certificate of Automobile Repair is not an authorization to repair your vehicle, nor is it a confirmation that your Safeco policy extends coverage for the damages sustained in this accident.
Tennessee customers only
In TN, as set forth under the provisions of 55-12-104, T.C.A., you must file, or have filed in your behalf, a personal report with the Department of Safety and Homeland Security, if you were involved in an automobile crash as an owner or driver involving death or injury, or in which damage to property was in excess of one thousand five hundred dollars ($1,500) to any person involved OR if an accident results in damage to state or local government property in excess of four hundred dollars ($400). This report is required regardless of who was at fault and in addition to any report filed by an investigating officer.
Failure to file a personal crash report with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security may result in the suspension of driver license and registrations or nonresident operating privileges of any person involved in a crash.
Your report must be submitted to the Department within twenty (20) days from the crash. You can satisfy this requirement by completing the reverse side of this from and mailing it to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, P.O. Box 945, Nashville, TN 37202. If you have any questions, please call toll-free 1-866-903-7357 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf 1-615-532-2281.
https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/safety/documents/owneroperator.pdf
Your Claims Representative will contact you, and any other parties involved, to collect all the information we need to resolve your claim. In some instances, we may ask for your recorded statement to capture the details of the incident.
A Total Loss Adjuster will contact you to explain how we determine the value of your vehicle. Once we determine the value, the Total Loss Adjuster will provide you with a detailed explanation of our evaluation.
A 'total loss' means the damage to your vehicle is more than your vehicle is worth. If your vehicle is a total loss, a Total Loss Adjuster will contact you and provide you with a detailed explanation of our evaluation.
Your Claims Representative or the Guaranteed Repair Network shop you have chosen will write an estimate for your damages. If your damage review has not already been scheduled, please contact your Claims Representative as soon as possible.
For New Hampshire policyholders:
New Hampshire Insurance Code 407-D:3-a states:
New Hampshire requires OEM parts for vehicles that have been in service for less than two years and have fewer than 30 ,000 miles on them. In addition, OEM parts are required if a vehicle is leased and the lease specifies that the use of aftermarkets parts will cause a diminution of the residual value of the vehicle. If you have a leased vehicle, please review your lease and let us know if the lease has an OEM parts requirement.
Have your vehicle moved to a storage facility or repair shop of your choice and notify us of their information. Also, please let us know if your vehicle is in a location that is charging storage fees. Do not authorize repairs until we've had a chance to review the damage to your vehicle and determine coverage and estimated repair costs.
If you're uncertain about which repair facility to select, please contact your Claims Representative for assistance. Remember, the choice of repair shops is yours. The shop will schedule your repairs and or any necessary parts. Please confirm that the shop has received the parts before dropping off your vehicle for repairs.
If the repair shop finds additional or hidden damage, or writes a higher estimate, they should contact your Claims Representative. If necessary, Safeco will work with your shop to make sure the estimate is updated. Any additional approved payments will be issued directly to the shop.
The rental company may require a deposit by credit card or cash. Please contact the rental company directly to discuss these options.
Your rental will end following a reasonable time period after we've notified you of the value of your vehicle, or when your overall rental limit is exhausted, whichever comes first. As a result, our payment will also be limited to the period of time reasonably required to repair or replace the vehicle. This same information also applies if your vehicle was stolen and not recovered.
Notify your Claims Representative. They may ask you for a receipt or some other proof of purchase.