Call Kurtis: Does CHP verify insurance at the scene of an accident?
PLACERVILLE (CBS13) — When a Placerville car crash victim found out that the insurance information the other driver provided at the crash scene was bogus, they decided to Call Kurtis with a surprising discovery.
Investigators and law enforcement officials show up to crash scenes often and one of their responsibilities is to ensure insurance information is exchanged between the parties.
But even with the California Highway Patrol there, Richard Springer says that the driver who hit him and caused $21,000 in damage to his truck presented bogus information to the officer. And he says that when he approached CHP about it, they told him there was nothing that could be done.
"She [a CHP officer] indicated to me that they could give them a piece of paper that says Disneyland Insurance, and that's proof enough for them," said Springer.
So that got us wondering, how does the CHP know a driver's insurance policy is active or legitimate?
Well, they don't.
CBS13 reached out to the CHP and were told by a spokesperson over email that they "don't have the ability to verify the validity of the insurance at the scene of incidents." So officers accept whatever is presented as proof and a driver is only busted if they aren't able to present any documentation at all.
If you're in a wreck, you might just want to call and make sure the other driver's insurance is valid while an officer is on the scene.
Our viewer had uninsured driver insurance, covering most of his truck's damage, but not his medical bills.