There are some things in life you hope you’ll never have to deal with – like a child with a broken arm, a lost wallet or getting into a car accident. Hopefully in the case of the latter, no one was hurt badly, and all you have to deal with is getting your car fixed so you can get back on the road.
Are you aware of the procedure for filing a car insurance claim? If not, here are some simple guidelines:
1. Put a call in to your auto insurance company as soon as possible. Among the questions you can expect to be asked: Is everybody okay? Where is your vehicle now? What happened? When did it happen? And how many people were involved? Having all the relevant details when you call can help the rest of the process go smoother.
2. Once the basic questions are answered, your agent will begin an investigation to figure out who is responsible for the claim. Depending on your auto insurance coverage, the damage to your vehicle may be covered regardless of who’s at fault. However, you are responsible for any deductible that may apply. At this point, if your vehicle is not drivable and you have coverage, you’ll be told how to go about getting a rental car.
3. Schedule an estimate. If your car was damaged, you’ll need to get an estimate on the damage. Depending on the circumstances, you can either take your vehicle to an authorized claim adjuster, or your agent can arrange to have an adjuster come to you.
4. Once you have the estimate, you can talk with your claims team about the repair options available to you. At this point, a decision whether to repair or declare a vehicle a total loss is based on the type and the extent of damage, age of the vehicle, state law and other factors. If the repair estimate is more than the vehicle’s worth, many insurance companies may pay the actual cash value of the vehicle, up to the limits of the policy, minus your deductible.
