A Step-By-Step Guide To Submitting A Car Insurance Claim
May 6, 2008 – 7:18 pmSubmitting a car insurance claim can be a very stressful experience. You’ve probably just been in an accident, which is stressful enough, and now you are worrying about getting everything right so that your claim is approved and you can get back to your normal life. While nothing can make the stress of a claim disappear entirely, insurance companies, especially those offering cheap auto insurance, have made this a much smoother and easier process than it used to be.
Of course, the first thing to do is make sure everyone is safe, and if any medical attention is needed, that this is taken care of immediately. Then, take a few minutes to breathe deeply and put things in perspective. You are alive, the professionals are on their way, and this is a manageable. Because this is a difficult time, it will help to have a list of things to do in your wallet, purse, or glove compartment.
* Get information about every car that stops at the scene of the incident. That includes make, model and license plate. Even if they weren’t involved in the accident, get this information; they could be valuable witnesses.
* Write down the insurance, contact and license information for each driver involved in the incident. Make sure you have their name, address, phone number, and all of the information listed on their insurance card. Especially important is the company name, policy number, and company phone number.
* From the witnesses, get names, addresses, and phone numbers, and find out what it is that they saw. Not every witness will have a full view of the incident, so knowing who saw what is very helpful. Jotting a few notes about each witness will come in handy later.
* Write down your own account of the accident, in as much detail as possible. Start with the date, time and location. State which lane you were in, whether the traffic was light or heavy, whether there was any construction, blinding sunlight, and so on. Then list exactly what you were doing right before, during, and after the accident. Put down any details of the appearance and actions of the cars around you.
* It is helpful to have photographs of the vehicles and the scene. You can use a cell phone camera for this, or, if you don’t have one, keep a disposable camera in your car. Take pictures of anything that might be relevant; if you’re not sure, go ahead and get a picture.
* You should talk to your insurance company as soon as possible after the accident. They will ask you a lot of questions, but their process is very efficient and based on thousands of accident reports, so all you have to do is answer carefully and completely.
* If the police are called to the scene, they, too, will have a set procedure for getting information about the incident. Be patient and polite, and answer their questions as completely and accurately as possible, too. Make sure you receive a copy of the accident report, as this will be important as part of submitting a car insurance claim.
After the accident, it is important to follow up with your insurance company. The claim process is largely automated, so there may not be much for you to do, but you should check in anyway. A once-a-week update isn’t unreasonable. And, of course, if they should contact you, return their call as soon as you can. Finally, once the claim is settled, you’ll want to talk to your agent about any changes it may cause to your insurance.
There’s no way to completely alleviate the stress of being in an accident, but you can make the process easier if you stay calm and make sure to get all the information and follow all the steps. Take care to get it right, and you’ll find your claim process is much faster and easier.
Tags: Insurance
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