Q: I run into a minor car accident this morning. The police came and I gave him my license, registration, and insurance.
He came back and handed me my stuff back but didn't give me any tickets or warnings. He only gave me an information exchange form. Does that mean I'm okay?
A:
A Maryland attorney familiar with traffic stop protocols could advise most meaningfully here, but your question remains open for a while. As a general matter in most jurisdictions, you would have likely received some sort of notice of any violation at the scene. In the information exchanged, check if there was any receipt for an accident report. Depending on the jurisdiction, and the level of injuries or property damage, officers could issue drivers a field receipt with a reference number, after which the driver goes to the precinct with the reference number and picks up an official report prepared by a traffic safety officer, and that contains all information, including citations. But this seems like a very minor incident where no report would have been issued. Good luck
Tim Akpinar
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
