When an accident causes an injury, the death of another person, or property damage over 1,000 dollars, a formal accident report must be filed with the proper authority within a set time limit (for example, with a state transportation or motor vehicle department, often within about 10 days if police did not fully investigate).

Key idea in plain language

In many U.S. traffic-law contexts, that question is testing one specific rule:
If a crash leads to injury, death, or more than 1,000 dollars in damage and a police officer has not already investigated it on scene, the driver is required to submit a written crash/accident report to the appropriate state agency (often the Department of Transportation or Department of Motor Vehicles) within a specified period (commonly 10 days).

So, rephrased as a multipleā€‘choice ā€œcorrectā€ answer, itā€™s typically:

A written accident report must be made to the stateā€™s transportation (or motor vehicle) department within about 10 days if there is injury, death, or damage exceeding 1,000 dollars and no officer has investigated the crash.

Why this rule exists

  • To make sure serious crashes are officially documented for safety statistics and legal records.
  • To support insurance claims and possible court cases with an official report on file.
  • To ensure that even if no officer comes to the scene, the state still learns about severe collisions.

Quick checklist after such an accident

  • Stay at the scene and ensure safety if possible.
  • Call emergency services if there is any injury or danger.
  • Contact police so the crash can be investigated and reported.
  • If no officer investigates, submit the required written accident report to the proper agency within the deadline set by your state.

Always check your own stateā€™s current law, because the exact form, agency name, dollar limit, and deadline can differ slightly.