Have you failed to report an accident?

The specialists in our Motor Law Department are leading experts in all types of motoring offences, including failing to stop after an accident and failing to report an accident. These offences can carry severe penalties.

Allegations of failing to stop or failing to report an accident can occur where it is alleged that you did not stop at the scene of an accident and provide your details after causing damage to a vehicle and/or property or alternatively where you failed to report this to the Police as soon as possible.

With the Motor Law service you have access to a specialist team of solicitors who carefully examine the circumstances surrounding the allegation all with the aim to establish a defence or mitigate any potential penalties.

Failing to Stop/Failing to Report

If you have been involved in an accident on a road or public place where someone sustains an injury, damage is caused to another vehicle/property or an animal is injured, then you have an obligation to provide your personal details and the details of the owner, to anyone who has reason to require it. This is usually the owner of the vehicle/property or injured party. If you fail to provide these details at the scene, then you must report the accident to the Police as soon as possible within 24 hours of the incident taking place.

The penalties for failing to stop after an accident or failing to report an accident can vary and will depend upon the individual circumstances of your offence.

Penalties can include:

• Discretionary disqualification for a minimum of six months or 5-10 penalty points unless Special Reasons or Exceptional Hardship applies;
• A fine of up to £5,000;
• Unpaid community work, an electronically monitored curfew or up to six months imprisonment for the most serious offenders;
• If you have been driving for two years or less and you accumulate six points, your licence would be revoked and you would have to retake your test.

In some cases, even if you admit you were at fault, a Special Reasons argument can be applied. In building a case to prove this we will discuss the circumstances of your case in detail and advise on the prospects of whether it will hold up in Court.

Failing to stop and failing to report an accident are extremely serious offences, particularly those that result in serious incidents, for example a hit and run, and could lead to a prison sentence.

There are various defences for allegations of these offences. For example, it may be that the accident never took place, or a case of mistaken identity. In some cases vehicle examination or CCTV footage can be obtained to support your case. It is also a defence to demonstrate that you quite reasonably had no knowledge that the accident had taken place.

With the expertise of our Motor Law specialists you have access to leading litigators that will challenge any evidence the Crown Prosecution Service are relying on to ensure the best possible outcome.

It is important to remember that by seeking legal advice from the outset you can help to ensure that any complexities and potential implications are effectively managed. Having access to expert advice can bring peace of mind at a time when you face uncertainty and concerns for what lies ahead.