Filing a car insurance claim may seem straightforward, but it is essential that you understand how the process works. First, file with your insurer whether online or through mobile apps; they should respond within 48 hours with details regarding how they plan to handle the situation.
Your insurance provider will assign a claims specialist or adjuster to assist in your case and get compensation up to your policy limits for damages sustained.
1. Reporting the Accident
If you are involved in a car accident, it is wise to notify your insurer as soon as possible so they have as much information on hand as possible to compensate you for damages sustained. Your agent can walk you through the steps involved with filing a claim and assigning an adjuster, while answering any queries about what to do next.
Experts generally advise gathering all contact details of all participants involved and witness statements you can gather from witnesses to the accident, along with details regarding its occurrence, such as date and time of incident, police report number (if available), damage sustained to vehicle(s) involved and amount spent repairing same.
Insurance companies typically conduct their own investigation of accidents, and will ask to see photos of both the accident scene and your car; an adjuster may visit either your house or accident scene in order to assess your car’s damage and evaluate your claim value; they may interview you, review your medical records/bills/documents as well as any evidence supporting personal injury claims (for instance lost wages).
After reviewing all available information, an insurance adjuster will issue a decision regarding your claim – accepting or rejecting it, as well as how much money they’re offering you to cover car accident damages.
Your insurance provider may attempt to recover compensation from the at-fault driver’s insurer via subrogation, such as repair costs or medical bills if you were not to blame in an accident. Unfortunately, if it turns out you were at fault in an incident, their expenses cannot be recovered from you through subrogation.
Your insurance provider could decide not to renew or cancel your policy depending on how often and the type of claims that have been filed in a short period and type of accident. Filing multiple auto claims also hinders finding cost-effective car coverage in the future.
2. Contacting Your Insurance Company
As soon as possible following an accident, contact your insurer to initiate the claims process and report it as quickly as possible – depending on your policy and details of the incident this could mean immediately following it or within several days at most. Otherwise your insurer may no longer offer coverage or assistance; many auto insurers provide dedicated claims lines with agents available 24/7 who are there to assist in filing your claim; other features could include roadside assistance numbers as well as non-emergency numbers that provide general customer service coverage or assist with non-emergency inquiries.
Once you contact your insurer, an adjuster will be assigned to investigate the accident. They’ll assess the damage to your vehicle, evaluate any personal injury claims and review police reports/witness statements as part of this investigation process. Your insurer may also request medical records or bills related to the loss. All this data will help them decide on an amount payable towards your claim.
Most states have laws in place that provide drivers with legal protection by setting time limits on how quickly insurers have to settle a claim. For more details, contact your state’s department of insurance for more information on specific laws in your region.
Once your insurer has evaluated your claim, they’ll provide an estimate for how much they are going to cover for repairs on your car. If the amount seems inadequate, speak with their adjuster and attempt to negotiate. If that fails, seek estimates from other body shops or contractors as possible settlements may vary considerably.
If an insurer rejects your claim, they must provide you with an explanation in writing as to why. This may vary depending on your state and policy but could include reasons like lack of coverage, suspicion of fraud or insufficient evidence.
If your claim is accepted, a check will be sent directly to you to cover all associated damages and losses associated with your accident. Once repairs have been completed, your insurer will process this payment and close out your claim. However, if it is rejected you may have recourse through appealing or hiring legal representation in order to pursue further actions against it.
3. Talking to an Adjuster
After being involved in an auto accident, you’re likely to meet with an insurance adjuster. They are professionals at gathering data that they use to assess your claim and determine the compensation due. But keep in mind that they work for the party responsible’s insurer instead – meaning their primary interest should lie with saving as much money for them on your settlement as possible.
Insurance adjusters will require basic details about a collision, including date, time, location, vehicle types involved and witnesses involved. You should generally only provide this information until prompted otherwise by an adjuster to provide more in-depth data about injuries sustained or other aspects of your case.
Be polite and respectful when speaking with an insurance adjuster; this will show them you’re professional and they can collaborate together for the benefit of your case in the long run. Furthermore, it would be prudent to record or document conversations so as to have evidence in case your case goes to trial.
Dishonesty will damage your case more than help it, and adjusters are well trained in finding inconsistencies in testimony to use against you. While speaking to an adjuster may seem innocuous enough over the phone, things could turn drastically different when asked under oath to explain what occurred in court.
If an insurance adjuster pressures you into giving more details of an injury or accident, tell them you have hired an experienced attorney who can represent your interests and negotiate an equitable settlement on your behalf. They can protect your rights while negotiating on your behalf towards an acceptable resolution with insurers.
Idealy, you should let your attorney handle negotiations directly with the insurance adjuster; however, should that prove impossible, Finz & Finz P.C.’s team is here to guide you through this process and can assist in getting you more compensation than would otherwise be available without lawyers involved from day one. Our experience shows that involving attorneys from day one increases payouts significantly more than without them present in negotiations.
4. Getting Your Car Fixed
Once a loss has been identified by an insurance provider, an adjuster will be assigned to investigate and manage it. They may arrange an inspection of your car as well as review any related bodily injury claims or police reports – you should usually hear back within one or three days after filing your claim.
At all stages, it’s essential to remember that your insurance provider wants you to get your vehicle fixed quickly in order to reduce costs, which is why they often provide a list of approved repair shops. If they don’t meet your standards, feel free to seek estimates from other body shops as well.
Once an adjuster has taken all this information into consideration, they will provide you with a final estimate for your repair work based on both its cost and your coverage level. Once this cost has been agreed upon, your adjuster will authorize its payment before mailing you your check directly.
Remind yourself that, regardless of the value of your claim, your insurer only owes up to the value of your vehicle at the time of the accident. Filing multiple claims could cause them to view you as high-risk customer and raise their rates accordingly.
As such, it’s usually best to wait to file claims until absolutely necessary – this will help keep insurance premiums low while guaranteeing that only necessary coverage is being purchased.
Whenever involved in an accident that isn’t your responsibility, it is worth reaching out to the other driver’s insurance provider (assuming they carry liability property damage coverage) in order to file a third-party claim and recover costs associated with repairing or replacing your vehicle without using up your collision coverage.