5 Steps involved in filing an auto insurance claim
When you purchase an auto insurance policy, you agree to pay the required premium to your insurer/insurance company. In turn, your insurer promises to pay for the financial losses in case of an accident or damage. In case of an accident, you need to file a claim regardless of whether or not you’re responsible for the damage caused.
5 Steps to filing a car insurance claim
After an accident or damage, at first, you need to decide whether or not to file a claim. This is because the insurance company may raise your premium after you file a claim. Therefore, decide whether or not the damage is too minor to claim coverage.
Follow these 5 steps after you decide to claim auto insurance coverage from your insurer.
- Call the police and seek medical attention
You should immediately call 911 if someone needs immediate medical attention. You may not call 911 if it’s not an emergency. However, you should seek medical attention and also call the police as you’ll require police report for filing an auto insurance claim.
- Exchange the required information
Make sure you exchange the license plate numbers, contact information and auto insurance information with the other parties involved in the accident. In some states, it is mandatory for the drivers to carry auto insurance information with them.
- Take contact information of witnesses
You should also look for witnesses and note down the contact information of them. The witnesses should be willing to narrate what caused the accident. If you’re unable to gather the required information, then the police report can serve as a back-up source of information for filing the auto insurance claim.
- Inform your auto insurer about the incident
It is quite important to get in touch with your insurance company as soon as you can. You may also call your insurer right from the scene and narrate what has happened.
If the other party is guilty, you should inform the other insurance company and mention that you’re filing a claim through your insurer and mention that you seek reimbursement for the cost that your insurance company will not pay.
- File a claim as soon as possible
You should also file an auto insurance claim without wasting much time. If required, take help of your insurance agent to get a claim form. Fill it out with the required details and attach the necessary documents as evidence.
Make sure you make a copy of all the documents for future reference if the form gets lost. Do not forget to inform your insurance company that you’re sending the claim form along with the necessary attachments.
What happens after you file a claim?
After you file an auto insurance claim, you mat get a phone call from the other insurance company asking you to narrate the events that have caused the accident. An insurance adjuster from your insurance company will also come to check your vehicle in order to give an estimate of coverage on the basis of the damage caused. Your insurance company may pay you the amount required for the repaired work or pay the depreciated value of the car if it’s beyond repair.
However, you may fill out a form of arbitration if you think that the damage settlement estimate is too low. The process usually takes a few weeks. However, the insurance company may pay you the amount based on the estimate and you get the rest amount when the dispute is resolved in your favor. You may also file a lawsuit if necessary.
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