In every driving career the day will come when you will have to file an auto insurance claim. No driver is perfect and no one is immune from accidents. Filing aut accident insurance claims for auto insurance is a straightforward process but potential glitches exist if you aren’t careful.
A car insurance claim is needed any time your automobile is damaged. Whether an accident occurs on the road or a mishap takes place in the driveway, your first step is to gather your insurance information and that of any driver involved in the accident. Exchange information with the other driver and take pictures of the damage.
Within an hour or two you need to call your insurance agent and notify him or her that you have been involved in an accident and need to file a car accident injury claim with your auto insurance. Normally the agent gathers the pertinent points of the accident and then gives you another phone number to call which belongs to the insurance company’s claims department. Some companies gladly accept the initial filing of car insurance claims over the Internet.
Each insurance provider is different with the way they receive your car accident claim, but usually a case number is opened by a claims agent, adjuster, or customer service representative. This agent processes your claim and forwards the details to the adjuster or an in-house investigator. In some cases the initial agent handles your claim all the way through to the end. In other cases, depending on the company, your claim will move through a process handled by various personnel managing different tasks.
The adjuster investigates all the aspects of the claim in order to arrive at the truth of the incident in question. Using a police report, photographs of the automobile damage and the scene of the accident, and interviews with the parties in question, the adjuster determines what really happened. Comparing testimonies of witnesses with the facts of photos and physical evidence, the adjuster decides the value of the claim to be paid out to fix the vehicle. Often there are additional expenses associated with the accident including car rental reimbursement and medical bills. The adjuster decides how much to reimburse for these items.
A complicating factor in the auto insurance injury claims business is the potential intrusion of attorneys into the case. Claimants may disagree with the value of the claim as determined by the adjuster but more frequently the second party to the claim sues (or threatens to sue) the insurance company for additional funds. The second party often pursues exorbitant or unnecessary reimbursement for medical bills, time off of work, or the infamous ‘pain and agony.’ An adjuster has to be smart and do her homework to ferret out the truth from concocted lies. A good adjuster seeks justice and fairness for all parties involved setting aside any tendency to lean towards one side or the other.
As for the insurance company, fairness also comes into play. Insurance companies often receive the bad rap that they try to gouge their clients and hold back funds due to pay a claim. No doubt the insurance industry is in business to make money, but don’t conclude too quickly that your claim will be shortchanged. The majority of insurance providers do honest business and provide genuine service.
In cases where a legal suit is threatened, the two parties will try to settle the dispute over the insurance claim out of court. Normally a dispute is settled in a satisfactory manner, but sometimes attorneys seek ridiculous expense reimbursement just to pad their own pockets. If you are contacted by aggressive attorneys seeking ridiculous additional funds for your accident, be careful and do an honest assessment of their motives and ability to render genuine services before agreeing to be represented by them. Some attorneys are merely ‘ambulance chasers.’
After a claim value is determined, the adjuster either sends the funds to the claimant or pays the bill to fix the vehicle. After all expenses are paid and reimbursed, the claim case is finally closed.
Claims can be messy where shortcuts are taken. When giving your statement to any claims investigator, be sure to tell the truth. Justice will prevail in the end.
After an auto insurance claim is completed, discuss the process and outcome with your agent. It’s possible that your insurance rates may be raised in order for the insurance company to recoup some of their payout, depending on your driving history and relationship with the company. Not only does the insurance company assess their relationship with you, but you need to determine whether the claims process was handled accurately, efficiently, and justly. Then you can decide whether or not to keep your business with the company. Usually it pays off in the end to keep your auto insurance with the same company over time.
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- Auto Accident Claims
- Auto Accident Settlements
