Advice for Filing a Car Insurance Claim
Nobody wants to have to file a car insurance claim. If you have to file a claim, it’s probably because your car got damaged, stolen, or destroyed, or worse, because you have been injured.
Paying insurance is like paying your “just in case”. Odds are, you won’t get into that many fender benders or accidents in your lifetime, but if you do, you’ll thank your lucky stars if you have adequate coverage.
The first step to filing a car insurance claim should be…
If your car is stolen or damaged, get as much information as you can. Police records, testimony from all involved parties, photographs, anything you can get your hands on to prove what happened. Because there have been so many false claims filed, many insurance companies have been forced to become a little sceptical. This can be frustrating, but it’s understandable. When you’re dealing with hundreds or thousands of customers, it’s tricky to try and employ the honor system.
So ideally, you should have a metric ton of information and evidence to back up your claim. In many cases, the damage alone can be enough to make a legitimate claim, but other times, you may be asked to back that up with evidence. Consider it your insurance-insurance policy.
Next…
You might know off the top of your head whether or not the damages you’re claiming are covered by your policy, but if you don’t, you should study your policy to make sure, before you waste your time filing a claim for something your policy does not cover. And even if you do, it’s a good idea to double check.
Don’t wait. You should file the claim with your insurance company right away, whether the accident was your fault or not. You want the insurance company to process the claim quickly, as your advocate.
In the event of a dispute, the other person’s insurance company might give you a call to get your side of the story. This is another area where your evidence will come in handy.
If you do get this call, document everything you say, and ask for the name of the insurance agent you spoke with, as this may come in handy later.
The final step. If your car suffered body damage, you will get a call after your claim is approved. Your insurance company will probably send out an insurance adjuster to take a look at your vehicle and assess the damage. In other cases, they may just send you to a pre-approved garage right away to have the damage repaired.
Know your Policy
♦ Document the Incident Very Well
♦ Be Ready to Prove your Case in the Event of a Dispute, and…
♦ Take Care of your Vehicle
It can be a simple process, really. There’s a chance it may wind up in civil court and so on, but if you’re prepared with a thorough understanding of your policy, a clear understanding of what happened at the scene of the accident, and evidence to back up your claim, it should all be easy enough to work out.