Q: What is a municipal response fee?
A: Some municipalities charge drivers a fee when its fire and/or police departments respond to a traffic crash. |
Q: If I get billed, will my insurance company pay?
A: Generally, auto insurance policies provide coverage for auto accident medical expenses, including ambulance transportation to the hospital, but do not cover fees for fire and police response to the crash scene. It is not logical for insurance companies to pay for services not covered in auto insurance policies. |
Q: Will these fees impact my insurance premiums?
A: Providing coverage for accident response fees would likely result in increased costs that would be passed on to policyholders. |
Q: Why do some municipalities only charge insurance companies, allowing uninsured drivers to get away without paying the fee?
A: Some municipalities contend that insurance companies should pay be they are the sole user of police reports. However, that is not true. Key beneficiaries of crash reports include personal injury lawyers, hospitals, and health care providers. The reports are also used for criminal investigation, statistical reporting and local news reports. |
Q: Do all municipalities charge the same fee?
A: There is also a question regarding lack of consistency in the fees being charged and the criteria for sending firefighters and police officers to crashes for fires. The cost and guidelines vary and therefore makes it difficult for insurance companies to forecast these fees. |
Q: If my municipality only charges non-residents, why should I care?
A: In these cases, municipalities only assess non-residents because they realize that residents are already paying for this service through their local taxes. There is nothing like hanging out the "not welcome" sign to those coming to the community to work or shop. |