No matter how good of a driver you are, you can still be in a bad accident. So, whenever this happens, you do not take matters into your own hands or make modifications to the car without informing the insurance company. Besides, what is the purpose of having a car insurance policy if you can handle damages? Instead, you need to file a car insurance claim and submit evidence of damage as well as a police report to your insurance company.
What Information Do I Need to File a Car Insurance Claim?
When you need to file a claim, there is some information that you need to provide to the insurance company or insurer. They include:
- Your personal information.
- Your policy number.
- Information about the other party. For instance, their insurance details and registration number.
- Location of the accident.
- Day and time of the accident.
- The details of the witness.
- If there were any roadworks in the area and what the weather was like.
- If your car was vandalized or stolen, you need to provide a crime reference number.
So, after you provide all these details, the insurance company or insurer will begin the process and help you out if you have any questions.
How to File a Car Insurance Claim
If you are involved in an accident that is your fault or the other party’s fault, here is the appropriate process you need to successfully file a claim:
- Call the police.
- Gather evidence and information about the accident.
- Contact your insurance company.
- Talk to the insurance adjuster.
- Get your payout.
• Call The Police
If you are involved in an accident, the first thing you have to do before you file a car insurance claim is to contact the police. If there is someone in need of medical attention or not, you must make sure that the police are the first people you tell. Moreover, a police report is very important when you are filing a claim after a car accident, as the insurer will request it.
• Gather Evidence and Information About the Accident
The next step is to gather information and evidence of the accident. You also need to document every detail. For instance, take a picture of the car as well as other damaged properties. Write down the name, address, phone number, and insurance information of the involved party or parties.
If possible, you can also write a summary of the accident, and when the police arrive, you can get a copy of the police report. Equally important, if there are any witnesses, you can write down their contact details to help with the claim.
• Contact Your Insurance Company
Once you have collected all the necessary information and documents, you can now call your insurance company or insurer. But before filing a claim, you need to know if the current situation is something worth filing. In other words, you need to know when you can file a car insurance claim.
So, it is only possible if you are in a non-collision accident or an accident involving another party. In the meantime, you can go to your insurer’s website or mobile app to file a claim.
• Talk To the Insurance Adjuster
An insurance adjuster is a person who is responsible for the investigation of an insurance claim to find out how much the insurance company will pay for the injuries and damages. So, you can say that they are car insurance detectives.
• Get Your Payout
Lastly, after everything has been finalized and the insurance adjuster has confirmed your claim, you will receive your insurance payout.
Reasons Why Car Claims Are Denied
Various reasons are responsible for the denial of car claims when you make them. However, car owners are not aware of these reasons and think that the fault is with the insurer or insurance company. So, to cut to the chase, here are some reasons you need to know:
- Delay in reporting the accident.
- Fraudulent claims.
- When your claims surpass your coverage limits.
- Expired policy.
- If you are driving without a driver’s license.
- If you do not seek medical care.
- Contribution to the crash.
- Lapsed insurance policy.
- Incorrect information.
- Driving under the influence.
- Disagreed liability.
- If you go against the policy’s terms and conditions.
And various more. So, make sure that you follow the right process for filing claims after an accident.
What To Do If Your Auto Claim Is Denied
There are different reasons why your auto insurance claim was denied. Nonetheless, if you are curious as to why your claim was denied, you can ask in writing. By doing this, you will understand the true reason behind the denial. You can also appeal for denial.
Moreover, you need to check the current evidence and submit evidence narrating how the evidence does not correspond with the insurance company’s settlement and verdict. Apart from this, you can get in touch with a legal advisor if you are not confident enough to dispute alone.
