A Guide to Making Car Insurance Claims

After a car accident, the prospect of dealing with insurance adjusters and claim forms can be very stressful Filing claims and waiting for decisions can be a battle of attrition, but in many cases the process is faster and smoother than you might think. Just read this guide to making car insurance claims. Also, it is recommended to get free car insurance quotes after the accident and observe how the claims will affect the future rates.

Affordable Auto Insurance QuoteWhether to file a claim after an accident depends on what kind of insurance coverage you carry and who is at fault.  If it’s clearly the other driver’s fault, you must file a claim with the other driver’s insurance company under that driver’s liability policy. But if it is your fault, file a claim with your own insurance company under your collision policy. If the fault is shared or not clear, file a claim with both your own insurer and the other driver’s. Once fault is determined, you’ll get coverage under one or both policies.

The basic steps of filing a claim are:

  1. Contact Your Insurance Company – Report the accident as soon as possible. Provide the following information:
  • Which vehicle was involved
  • Who was driving
  • Location and date of the accident
  • A description of the accident and the severity of the damage
  • The name and insurance information of the other driver
  • Names and contact information of others involved in the accident and witnesses

 

  1. File a police report – Your insurance company will request a police report number. If you did not get a police report at the scene, you can still go to a local police station to file a report.
  2. Follow up with insurance adjuster – The insurance company will assign an adjuster to your claim. The adjuster will contact you for additional information.
  3. Evaluation – Your adjuster will consider and evaluate the facts and your policy, inspect the damage, and potentially make an initial payment.
  4. Resolution – The adjuster will authorize a final payment. You’ll sign a release, accepting the payment as payment in full for the case.

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