A car insurance claim is essentially any request for payment of damages insured under a signed car insurance policy.
While most car insurance claims are processed rather quickly other claims need a little work to get resolved. It’s very important to understand what your insurance policy covers before submitting a claim.
Many times consumers often simply want their car fixed but incur other expenses such as rental car costs and loss of income which could be covered under an auto insurance policy. Filing a claim is rather painless but the trick is understanding what items you are covered for well ahead of time.
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The Car Insurance Company Point of View
Although your car insurance policy entitles you to coverage for certain incidents the car insurance company is also entitled to investigate your claim to ensure the submitted claim complies with the terms of your insurance policy and is not an attempt at insurance fraud. For most minor claims the car insurance company will simply send out a car insurance adjuster and quickly process the claim (such as a broken window) while more detailed claims involving medical injuries, loss of income and other reimbursement may involve a police report, several claims adjusters and a bit of a longer claims process.
How to make the Car Insurance Claim Process Smooth
Its important to understand the car insurance company will generally be on your side however they are also a for-profit corporation so tread carefully when its comes to submitting a major claim and hire an independent auto insurance adjuster or attorney if you need to. Most car insurance claims are processed quickly and without much conflict but larger car insurance claims can sometimes be a little tricky especially if you don’t understand the terms of your policy.
If an accident is clearly not your fault (by record and not simply your opinion) or you live in a no-fault car insurance state then most likely you will only deal with a car insurance adjuster representing your policy coverage. It’s important never to speak to anyone unless they represent you and if you feel like your car insurance adjuster is difficult to work with ask for another one. You should also try to incorporate some of these tips for filing a successful car insurance claim including:
Don’t Delay
Whenever an accident occurs always try to file a claim as quickly as possible and never hesitate to call law enforcement at the scene of an accident no matter how minor the damage. It’s very common for drivers to “change their story” as soon they leave the scene and you should always have the accident documented by a police report.
Never Speak to the other Car Insurance Company
“But the adjuster was really nice on the phone – I can’t believe he told you that”
Yes, this conversation happens day in and day out. The only person you want to speak with is your auto insurance company or legal counsel. Do not fall prey to another car insurance company asking you questions. You have no legal responsibility to speak with them and most of the time the questions are geared at trying to find a way to put you at fault.
Wait for Authorization
Never send your car to a repair shop before getting authorization from your car insurance company. Your policy will only provide coverage up the accident damage and any pre-existing damage is not covered. When you tell a car repair shop to fix your car well, they are going to fix everything and your check may be very short of the actual repair cost.
Of course you also have options to dispute a claim but most car insurance claims are settled pretty quickly today so try to make the process smooth but make every attempt to understand your car insurance policy well ahead of filing a claim.
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