Short Answer

Yes. Your own insurance company may be able to help verify whether the at-fault driver had an active policy, especially if you provide the police report, license plate, driver information, and any denial from the listed insurer. In North Carolina, a crash report can be a helpful starting point, but it does not guarantee that the listed policy was active. If no valid liability coverage exists, your own uninsured motorist or collision coverage may become important, depending on your policy and the facts.

Why the Police Report May Not Be Enough

After a Durham car accident, the police report is often the first document people use to start an insurance claim. It may list the other driver, vehicle, license plate, and insurance information. That information can help identify the right company, but it is not the same thing as a coverage decision.

Sometimes the insurer listed on the report cannot find an active policy. That can happen for several reasons:

• The policy number, company name, or driver information was entered incorrectly.
• The other driver gave old, incomplete, or invalid insurance information.
• The vehicle was insured under a different person, business, or household policy.
• The policy had lapsed, been canceled, or did not cover that driver or vehicle for the crash.
• The report has not been supplemented with updated information.

North Carolina law requires certain crash reports and investigations for reportable accidents. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-166.1 generally requires the investigating officer’s report to include financial responsibility information for the vehicle driven by the person identified as at fault. In plain English, the report should include insurance-related information when available, but the report can still be incomplete or later proven wrong.

How Your Own Insurance Company May Help

Your own auto insurance company often has a practical reason to investigate the at-fault driver’s coverage. If your company pays under collision coverage, uninsured motorist property damage coverage, or another applicable part of your policy, it may later try to recover from the at-fault driver or that driver’s insurer. This is one reason your company may run additional searches or contact the listed insurer directly.

Depending on the company and the information available, your insurer may be able to:

• Review the police report for the listed carrier, policy number, VIN, plate number, and driver information.
• Contact the insurer named on the report to confirm whether a policy existed on the crash date.
• Ask for written confirmation if the listed insurer says there was no active policy.
• Check claim databases or other insurance resources available to insurers.
• Open a claim under your own policy while the liability coverage issue is being investigated.

This does not mean your insurer must find a policy or that coverage definitely exists. It also does not mean your insurer is giving legal advice. Your company will evaluate the claim under its policy language, the crash facts, and North Carolina law.

What to Send Your Insurance Company

If the at-fault driver’s insurer cannot locate an active policy, do not rely on a phone call alone. Gather the information in one place and send it to your own insurer in writing when possible. Keep a copy of everything.

Helpful documents and details may include:

• The full police report or DMV-349 crash report.
• Any supplemental report, if one exists.
• Photos of the vehicles, license plates, damage, roadway, and insurance card if you have it.
• The other driver’s name, address, phone number, driver’s license number, plate number, and VIN if available.
• The name of the insurer listed on the report and any claim number you opened.
• Emails, letters, or notes showing that the listed insurer could not locate coverage.
• Repair estimates, towing receipts, storage bills, rental receipts, and other vehicle-related expenses.
• Medical records and bills if anyone was injured.

Ask the listed insurer for a written coverage position if it says there was no active policy. In some uninsured motorist situations, a written statement from the listed liability insurer that the other vehicle was not covered at the time of the crash can be important.

When an Uninsured Motorist Claim May Come Into Play

If the at-fault driver had no valid liability insurance, your own uninsured motorist coverage may matter. North Carolina’s motor vehicle insurance law addresses uninsured motorist coverage in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-279.21. In general, this law requires certain North Carolina auto policies to include protection for people who are legally entitled to recover damages from uninsured drivers, including certain property damage and bodily injury situations.

For vehicle repairs, two parts of your own policy may be discussed: collision coverage and uninsured motorist property damage coverage. Which applies, whether a deductible applies, and what documentation is required depend on the policy and the facts. Your insurer may also ask you to cooperate with its investigation, provide documents, and help preserve its ability to pursue the at-fault driver later.

If injuries are involved, the analysis can be more detailed. Your own insurer may still evaluate liability, causation, medical documentation, and whether the other driver was uninsured. In a UM claim, your own insurance company may stand in the place of the uninsured driver for some claim-handling purposes, which can make the process feel different from a simple property damage claim.

Fault Still Matters in North Carolina

Even when the problem is finding insurance, fault still matters. To recover through the at-fault driver’s insurer, or through uninsured motorist coverage, you generally must show that the other driver’s negligence caused the crash and your losses.

North Carolina also allows contributory negligence as a defense. That means if the defense proves that your own negligence helped cause the crash, it can create serious problems for the claim. Evidence should address both what the other driver did wrong and why your own driving was reasonable under the circumstances.

This is one reason the police report should be treated as a starting point, not the whole case. Reports can contain mistakes or may be based on limited information at the scene. Photos, witness names, dash camera footage, repair documentation, and consistent written communication can help fill gaps.

Do Not Let the Coverage Search Delay Important Deadlines

It is reasonable to spend time trying to confirm whether the at-fault driver had a valid policy. However, claim discussions with any insurance company do not automatically extend lawsuit deadlines.

For many North Carolina personal injury and property damage claims, N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52 provides a three-year deadline. In plain English, many crash-related civil claims must be filed within that time period, but the correct deadline can depend on the type of claim and facts. If there may be a deadline, do not wait for an insurer to finish searching before getting legal guidance.

How This Applies to Your Situation

Based on the facts described, you obtained the police report and tried to file with the at-fault driver’s insurer, but that insurer could not locate an active policy from the information on the report. In that situation, your own insurance company may be able to help investigate whether the other driver had valid coverage on the date of the crash.

A practical next step is to notify your own insurer, provide the police report and the response from the listed insurer, and ask whether the company can verify coverage or open the appropriate claim under your policy. If the at-fault driver was uninsured or provided invalid information, your own uninsured motorist coverage or collision coverage may be the path for vehicle repairs, subject to the policy and documentation.

Try to keep the issue organized in writing. Record the dates you called, who you spoke with, claim numbers, and what each insurer said. If an insurer says there is no policy, ask for that position in writing.

When Wallace Pierce Law May Be Able to Help

Wallace Pierce Law helps people with North Carolina personal injury claims understand the insurance process, organize documentation, and evaluate next steps. When the at-fault driver’s policy cannot be found, the process may involve more than simply calling the number on the police report.

The firm may be able to help by reviewing the crash report, identifying missing insurance information, communicating with insurers, requesting written coverage positions, evaluating whether an uninsured motorist claim may be available, and tracking deadlines. If fault is disputed, the firm can also help gather evidence that addresses what happened and how North Carolina’s contributory negligence rules may affect the claim.

No lawyer can promise that a policy will be found or that a particular coverage will apply. The goal is to clarify the available options and avoid mistakes that could make the claim harder to pursue.

Talk to a Personal Injury Attorney in Durham

If your question involves injuries, insurance, fault, medical documentation, settlement paperwork, or a possible deadline, speaking with a licensed North Carolina attorney can help clarify your options. Call 919-313-2737 to discuss what happened and what steps may make sense next.

Disclaimer: This article provides general information about North Carolina personal injury law based on the single question stated above. It is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship. It is not medical advice, tax advice, or insurance policy interpretation. Laws, procedures, and local practice can change and may vary by county. If there may be a deadline, act promptly and speak with a licensed North Carolina attorney.