In the US, the claims adjuster determines who is at fault. The police report is weighted more heavily than anything either party says, as is physicak evidence of the collision.
If there's a disagreement, most insurers will go through a special arbitration process. Whether one of thr parties says "accident" or "collision" is not one of the factora considered.
Accident it is. I won’t be language policed by an insurance industry mouthpiece like AAA, that’s for sure.
They do? Whose? And when? I'll confess I have very little experience in this area.
I'd imagine that only happens when the people involved in the accident want to go after an insurance company for denying a claim or not paying the full agreed upon amount. In fact the only time I've ever heard of it in my life was when my ex sued the insurance company for trying to get away with covering less than 10% of her medical bills following an accident that had totaled both cars and left the at-fault driver dead.
I don't think lawyers are common in most trivial accidents- I don't know how accurate it is to say that lawyers often get involved.