, you are required to contact the police immediately. You may also have to report the accident to the DMV and file an insurance claim. In adherence to Wisconsin’s comparative fault law, you may seek damages via a personal injury lawsuit.

Unfortunately, Wisconsin law requires you to take care of certain things right away. That’s why it’s important to understand your state’s car accident laws so that you’ll know how to proceed.

What to do after a crash: Wisconsin car accident reporting laws

After a car accident, Wisconsin law requires the following:

If you reasonably know that you caused property damage, bodily injury, and/or death, you need to stop somewhere safe

Exchange pertinent information with the other party or parties

Always provide reasonable assistance to someone in need

In most cases, the next steps involve:

Filing an accident report with the police

Filing a report with the DMV

Contacting your insurance company to file a report

When to report an accident to the police

Under Wisconsin law, an accident must be reported if it results in:

The injury of a person

$1,000 or more in damages to another party’s vehicle or property

$200 or more in damages to state or other government-owned property (not including vehicles)

The

Department of Transportation

could send you a letter notifying you that your accident was reportable and then you must complete a crash report.

To report an accident, you will need the following info:

Driver’s license number

Vehicle identification number (VIN)

Social Security number

Car insurance information

If the police do not respond to the accident, you have to file a Driver Report of Accident within 10 days.

When to report an accident to the DMV

Wisconsin state law requires an accident to be reported if the accident results in any of the following:

An injured person

At least $1,000 worth of damages to another party’s vehicle or property

At least $200 worth of damages to state or other government-owned property, not including vehicles

If you’re still unsure of whether you need to report your accident to the DMV, call the location nearest to you to ask.

MORE:

How long do you have to file a claim?

Financial responsibility and coverage minimums: Wisconsin’s insurance laws

Wisconsin car insurance laws

mandate that drivers must carry at least the following coverage:

$25,000 of

bodily injury liability

per person

$50,000 of bodily injury liability per accident

$10,000 per person for

property damage liability

Failure to meet these minimums could result in a fine of up to $500.

Be prepared that not every Wisconsin driver has car insurance coverage. A 2019 study conducted by the

Insurance Information Institute (III)

states that roughly 13.3% of drivers in Wisconsin are uninsured.

Take note: Any accident with an uninsured driver may cause complications when you try to recoup damages. Combat this with

uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage

Claiming damages after an accident: Wisconsin’s personal injury laws

In Wisconsin, you have three years to file a personal injury claim for a car accident. This means that within three years, you must file your paperwork with the court, although your case does not have to be completed within this timeframe.

In Wisconsin, you can file a personal injury lawsuit for either general damages, special damages for past losses, and/or special damages for future losses. These break down as the following:

General damages cover pain and suffering. The amount of compensation depends on the severity and how long the suffering lasts.

Special damages for past losses cover expenses, loss of earnings, and other financial losses related to an injury or illness.

Special damages for future losses are designed to return you to the final position you were in before the accident as if the accident never happened. This depends on your ability to work or if you need any form of rehab or care.

MORE:

Can I use health insurance to cover car accident injuries?

Who’s to blame: Wisconsin’s comparative negligence law

To determine fault in a car accident,

Wisconsin uses modified comparative negligence

Essentially, whoever is responsible for the accident due to negligence is liable for damages for any injuries that were the result of the accident

If you and the other driver are both partially at fault, you might be able to recoup damages if you are found to be less than 50% at fault

If you are awarded damages, they will be lowered based on the percentage of the accident for which you are deemed to be at fault—so let’s say you are awarded $100,000 in damages but are found to be 25% at fault. This means you will only recover $75,000

Remember: Your negligence must be supported by evidence. You are not negligent just because you happened to be involved in a car accident. This is why these cases can take a while to conclude.

MORE:

What happens if you’re deemed at fault in an accident without car insurance?

How to save money on car insurance in Wisconsin

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