Insurance Claim Process After A Car Accident
Calling your insurance company after a car accident can be stressful. You need to calmly tell them what happened, but you might be confused as to what to do next.
You need to know how to handle the entire claims process, from the time of the accident all the way through making the repairs.
What to Do at the Scene
Before you talk to your insurance company after an accident, you have to clearly document what happened as best you can. Take pictures of your car, any other vehicles involved and wide shots of the entire area. This can help your claims representative determine exactly what happened and who was at fault.
Next, talk to any eyewitnesses and get their phone numbers. Your insurance agent may want to call them to verify details.
File a Police Report
When the police arrive, make sure you file a report. Since reports take time to generate, get the following information up front:
The police offer’s name and badge number
The names of any other drivers and passengers
The license plate number, make and model of any other involved vehicle
The insurance information of any other involved parties
This can help your insurance agency get started on processing your claim while the police report is written up.
Call Your Insurance Company
Now it’s time to contact them. Call your insurance company after a car accident once you have the above information on hand and be prepared to answer questions.
They will ask you to calmly walk them through the events that led to the accident. Make sure you tell them the time and date of the accident and offer as many pictures as you can to back up your statement.
Get Your Car Inspected
If your car was towed away, make sure you tell the insurance agency where it was hauled so they can have your claims adjuster inspect the damage. If you were able to drive your car from the scene, they may ask you to take it to a mechanic to get a repair quote. Different insurance companies may handle this step differently, and the process may depend on the state of your vehicle as well.
Talk to the Claims Adjuster
Once your claims adjuster is able to determine who is at fault and provide you with a detailed estimate of the repair work to be completed, they will contact you and let you know your next step. At this point, you will most likely be required to pay your deductible, then take the car to an insurance-company-approved shop for repairs.
A car accident is never good news, but you can get instant, professional assistance when you call Stauffer’s Towing. Contacting your insurance company after a car accident is important, but so is reliable towing that gets your vehicle off the road and on the way to the mechanic.
