What should I do if I am involved in a
motor vehicle accident?
NH law, 259:1-a, defines Accident. –
"Accident'' shall mean any event that results in injury or
property damage attributable directly or indirectly to the motion of a motor
vehicle or its load.
Responsibility of drivers involved in a motor vehicle accident.
1. The driver
of a vehicle who knows or should have known that he or she has just been
involved in any accident which resulted in death, personal injury or damages
to property, shall immediately stop such vehicle at the scene of the
accident and give to the driver or owner of any other vehicle involved in
said accident, and to any person injured, and to the owner of any property
damaged, the driver's name and address, driver's license number, the
registration number of the vehicle and the name and address of each
occupant. If by reason of injury, absence or removal from the place of the
accident, or other cause, such injured person, or driver of such other
vehicle, or owner of the property damaged, or any of them, is unable to
understand or receive the information required in this section, such
information shall be given to any uniformed police officer arriving at the
scene of the accident or immediately to a police officer at the nearest
police station.
2.
If any person is injured or killed, or if total damage to property is in
excess of $1,000, any person driving a vehicle which is in any manner
involved in an accident or any person who owns a vehicle which was illegally
parked when it was involved in an accident, shall within 15 days after such
accident, report in writing to the Motor Vehicle Division the facts together
with a statement of the circumstances of the accident.
3.
If a police officer responds to the scene and investigates the accident,
then the person(s) involved are not required to make the report to DMV as
stated in #2 above.
What should I do?
In the case of a very minor accident in which no one is
injured and damage is minor, pull all vehicles off the road and park in a
safe area and comply with #1 above and then make the report to DMV as stated
in #2 above if the total damage to property is over $1000.00. The forms to
make this report may be obtained at any police station or downloaded from
this website (see below Ð).
NOTE: There is no requirement that you report an
accident to DMV or the police if no one is injured and total damage is less
than $1000.00. However you must still comply with the requirements as stated
in #1 above.
In the case of moderate or serious accidents, or any crash
in which any person is injured, leave the vehicles where they came to rest
and call 9-1-1 and wait for
emergency personnel to respond.
Accident Report Forms -
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