Filing An Auto Insurance Claim

So there you are, minding your own business, when all of the sudden you are hit by another driver. Sadly, things in life aren’t always ideal, and we have to deal with these kinda of things at certain points in our lives.

That’s what insurance is for – to protect you from financial pitfalls after life gets in the way. Depending on how bad the accident is, filing an insurance claim might help relieve some of your financial stress.

What’s an insurance claim?

When you file an insurance claim, you’re basically asking for your insurance company to help you pay for repairs and other expenses caused by the accident. After you file a claim, the company usually sends an insurance adjuster to investigate what happened. If the claim is validated and approved, you’ll receive money to cover the losses.

When should you file an insurance claim?

A general rule of thumb is that if your damages are less thank your deductible (or a couple hundred bucks above it), it’s not really worth going through the trouble of filing a claim for a small payout (if you get one at all).

When you file a claim, the chances are that your insurance company will raise your premium rates. Under certain circumstances, they might even cancel your policy.

Here are situations you should strongly consider filing a claim:

• When someone is inured. If someone else gets hurt, you automatically have to file a claim.
• When it’s not clear who is at fault. When there is confusion on who to blame after an accident, let the insurance companies figure it out.
• A total loss or you can’t afford to pay the damages. When your car is completely totaled, you’re looking at thousands of dollars in damages. You probably won’t be able to handle those costs yourself, so file a claim.

How to file a claim

Let’s say your car is completely totaled after a car accident and every is okay. However, an insurance claim has to be filed. Here are the steps you need to take:

• Call the police if necessary.

You don’t need police to file an insurance claim, but it doesn’t hurt to have one. If someone is hurt or there is significant damage, call 911 and get help. A police report will help show exactly what happened and make the claim process much easier.

• Document everything and exchange information

Now, document the scene of the accident and father information from the parties involved. You will need the following:
– Name, address and phone number of the other drivers and photo of their license, if possible
– Insurance policy numbers
– Year, make, model and license plate numbers of all the vehicles involved
– Photos of the accident from all sides and angles
– Detailed notes from conversations had with the people involved with the accident

• Contact your insurance company

Get in touch with an agent from your insurance company and ask what else you’ll need to file your claim. Your agent knows the ins and outs of the claims process and will be able to give you the direction you need. From there, your insurance provider will answer any questions you have and will help you along your claims process.

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