How to make a car insurance claim after an auto accident? It happened all so fast. If you are driving down the street, one moment, eyes straight front as always. And you’re pushing on the brakes to avoid hitting a car speedily reversing down a bling driveway.
You hardly manage to stop the car because but the car behind you, the driver blissfully, possibly looking at their phone rear ends you anyway, throwing your vehicle up on the control.
Your seat belt does what should be doing, and luckily other driver is safe too. But both cars are totally damaged.
Your car insurance companies will definitely going to hear about this.
You have to file a claim with the insurance company immediately after the accident for getting insurance benefits. If they confirm the claim to be genuine, they will pay for the damages caused to you and your vehicle. Here is maintaining that how you can file make a car insurance claim in the event of your car meeting with an accident.
File a Car Insurance Claim After Accident
First priority, if you or a passenger in your car is injured or has reason to suspect an injury, reaches medical attention immediately. Your car insurance claim can wait.
Once that’s all done. It’s time to get to claim for car insurance. Ad-here these steps to file a car insurance claim after an accident or other incident involving your vehicle.
- Make a police report (if applicable)
If any incident involves another driver or suspected criminal activity, register a police report at the scene.
You don’t think it’ll help – For instance, someone vandalized your car and offender left no obvious clues – a police report set a record of the incident that can support your claim.
It can differentiate between denied and approved claim. If you not need medical attention, and it’s safe to do so. Wait at the accident scene until the police come.
The police officer wills likely interview and any other drivers, passengers, and witnesses severally. They may take photos of the scene and damaged vehicles as well.
If you’re not wanted to wait at the scene, reach the nearest police station when you’re able to file the report in person.
If the responding agency can’t spare an officer which is common for minor accidents in busy jurisdictions he might ask you to come into the station anyway.
- Commutation insurance information with the other driver
During waiting for the police to arrive, discuss insurance information with any other drivers involved in the incident.
If you have any insurance cards, take photos of the other driver’s card with your smartphone. Else use a pen and paper or phone to record key policy details:
- The driver’s name and the policyholder’s name
- The insurance company
- The policy number
Collect down the make, model, and license plate number of their vehicle. Record the any passengers name in other cars if they’re willing to provide them. Your insurance company might want to talk to those people when evaluating your claim.
Try to keep an even unroll when talking to other drivers or passengers. Don’t accept you were at fault for the accident, although you probably were. Don’t blame upon them of causing the accident, either, even if they clearly did. Leave it to the police and your insurance claims adjuster.
- Document the Damage
Collect all photos and videos of the damage, although if you couldn’t do so at scene. Insurance company might ask you don’t. While this procedure, keep records of any expenses related to the incident. That may be receipts for towing on the day of day incident, repair estimates from your dealership or body shop, and medical bills that come due to the weeks and months that follow.
- Determine who’s at Fault (if Applicable)
Another driver and you involved in an accident, you need to determine who’s at fault for the accident.
If you got hit by any driver during obeying all traffic laws and have the right of way, it’s very likely the driver who hit you is a fault.
In different cases, it’s not as straightforward, and sometimes drivers share fault partially or equally. Either way, the insurance companies eventually responsible for determining who’s fault, often with the help of the police report, driver and witness statements, and their insurance analyses of the damaged vehicles.
You live in a state with a no-fault auto insurance law, it is not matter who is fault because you are bound to file your initial claim with own insurance company. Check your state’s insurance commissioner if you’re unsure whether your state has a no-fault law.
If your state doesn’t have a not fault law and you believe another driver is a fault, you must first file a liability claim with their insurance company. However, insurer will almost certainly investigate the accident.
If you have any coverage, filing a collision or uninsured motorists claim with your won insurer.
You can claim own damage in case of any loss or damage caused to your insured car so that an accident. Your insurer to pay for the medical expenses and repair costs incurred due to the accident.
You will have to prove the damage or loss resulted from the accident. When you have a comprehensive policy, you will be eligible for this claim only.
- Communicate with Insurance Company
After this you’re insurance agent or the insurance company’s claims hotline. On the other hand, you can use the insurance company’s app or website to begin the claims-filing process online.
The part of progress is the same regard of whose insurance your file under. You’ll either file your insurer or the fault driver’s.
Whatever happened, tell them everything as much detail as possible. Tall them through the sequence of events and provide the other driver’s insurance and contact information.
Have you report a police or plan to whether you have any photo or video documentation let them know. You should be able to upload photos, videos, and notes there, if you’re filling your claim online.
While this conversation, don’t forget to ask the important question:
Does the policy cover the claim? For instance, if you drive an older car that’s fully paid off, you might not have conflict or extensive coverage. Depending on the laws in your state, that could mean your insurance company won’t cover repair costs unless it finds another driver is fault.
- Submit the Claim
Once you’ve collected and uploaded everything, you’re devoted to submit your claim. If you have to fill out a claim form, look for it in the insurance company’s app or on the website. You can often fill it out electronically, but you might need to print and scan it.
Don’t take tension if you’re not positive your claim is done. You should be able to submit additional documentation, such as late-coming repair and medical bills, also the insurance company hasn’t officially ruled on the claim.
- Inquiry & Insurance Adjuster Review
At this time, the insurance company’s insurance claims adjuster will review your claim and reach out to you consult it. If your vehicle continued valuable damage, there’s a good chance they’ll want to look at it in person and determine whether it a total loss.
If your vehicle is safe, it’s worth less than it would cost to repair. Think your claim is covered under your policy and the insurance adjuster has no cause to suspect fraud; they’ll offer to pay you the market value for your car.
If your vehicle is driving, the insurance claims adjuster will imagine how much cost takes to repair. They’ll give you with a list of carrier-approved repair shops and motivate you to take the vehicle to one if it’s not there already. If your preferred repair shop isn’t on the list, ask if it’s OK to use them. Insurance companies always work out reduced pricing with carrier-approved shops in exchange for a predictable flow of work.
- Review the Settlement Offer
Part of the insurance adjusters is to verify the extent of the harm and ensure the matter of facts of your story as best they can. Think everything is on the up and up, they’ll write a report recommending the insurance company take your claim. You’ll then get a settlement offer detailing what the insurer is willing to pay to return your loss.
If the offer is agreeable to you, tell the insurer that you approve and wait for the payout to come — typically within a week or two after you accept.
If you think the insurance company isn’t paying you fair market value for your vehicle or is accepting some expenses, ask for reconsideration. Be ready to support your argument with additional documentation, like bills not submitted with your initial claim.
- Receive the Payout
How you receive your payout not totally depends on whether your car can be repaired.
If so and you’re using a carrier-approved repair shop, your insurer might pay the repair shop straight. That ensures they don’t overpay on the claim. For instance, if they calculate the repair costs at $1,000 and cut you a check for that amount, but the repair shop only bills you $800, you’ll come out $200 ahead.
If your car is in service to run, you’ll get a check or electronic transfer for the settlement amount. Use this for buying a new car or second hand car. Or you can make a down payment on a replacement car if the settlement isn’t sufficient to cover the full cost.
