Filing a Car Insurance Claim After You've Been in an Accident without Dying of Frustration Before You're Back on the Road
It seems like such a simple process. You're in a car accident. You exchange car insurance information. You contact your insurer. Your car gets fixed. You go on your merry way. So why doesn't it ever work like that?
It can, if you're prepared. Here's a simple, easy strategy that will take the pain out of filing your car insurance claims.
Before the Accident
After you've been in an accident you've got better things to worry about than your insurance claim. That's why it's important for you to know what's going on before you get up close and personal with the bumper of the car in front of you.
If you're reading this for educational or recreational purposes and aren't already tearing your hair out trying to figure out how you're going to get your insurer to foot the bill for your accident, the first thing you need to do is sit down and ready your car insurance policy. (As a matter of fact, that's a good place to start even if you have already been in an accident.) Until you know what your insurance policy actually covers you don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to your insurance claim.
And whatever else you do or don't do, the next time you walk out the door make sure you've got a copy of your insurance card readily accessible before you turn the key in the ignition.
At the Scene of the Crime
It can be hard to keep track of everything you have to do when you're trapped in the middle of the adrenaline rush that always follows a car accident. Unfortunately, right when your mind's guaranteed to be in fifteen different places is precisely when you need to be the most clearheaded about your car insurance.
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Don't forget your witnesses!
It doesn't matter how nice the other driver might seem at the time, you never know when they're going to turn around and pretend that an accident wasn't their fault. Hey, they don't want to pay for the spike in their insurance rates! That's why getting the names and numbers of witnesses who can tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about what caused your accident is incredibly important.
After the Accident
As soon as you're able (preferably within 24 to 48 hours of the accident) you need to do three things:
1) File an accident report with local law enforcement,
2) Seek medical attention, and
3) Contact your insurer.
Filing an accident report is important. It's your proof that the accident actually happened, and filling it out while your memory's fresh will help the police and your insurer determine who was at fault. If there was an officer at the scene of the accident they've probably already filed an accident report for you (although it never hurts to check). If you were in a little fender bender on a back road and the two of you drove away with nothing more than bumps and scratches to show for it it's going to be up to you to make sure it's on file somewhere.
Whether you feel fine or want to crawl into a hole and die, you really need to see a doctor as quickly as possible after an accident. It can take days for an injury to show itself over the bumps, bruises and sore muscles you may or may not have after impact, but if the doctor doesn't have the date of the accident on file it could be hard for you to prove that your one on one with oncoming traffic was what caused your injury (as opposed to the insatiable need to go bowling). Hey, lawyers are slippery. You never want to find yourself without options because you waited too long to do something about it.
Your car insurance company needs to know about your accident ASAP so they can help you get the ball rolling on your claim. Most insurers have specialized claims representatives that can help you get the damages on your car appraised, make a decision about where you should have the repairs done and who should pay for them (your insurance company or the other driver's) and use their resources and the information you've already gathered to bring the accident to a quiet close as quickly as possible.