The last thing anyone would wish for themselves is having a car accident or their car stolen from them. This unexpected event could happen to anyone which is why many individuals tend to purchase auto insurance coverage in case of future occurrence.
This is where the auto insurance claim process comes in. You are required to file a claim to your insurance company if your car has been stolen or involved in an accident. It involves a long process as the incident would be investigated upon by your insurance company.
Read through this article to find out more.
How Does Auto Insurance Claim Processing Work?
After the experience of a car accident or stolen car incident, you will need to file an auto insurance claim.
The insurance claim processing for car accidents, vehicle damage, or personal injury, would be forwarded to your insurance company with details and concrete evidence about the unfortunate event.
Auto insurance claims processing is processed according to the nature of the incident. For instance, an auto insurance claim process for car accidents differs from a car theft insurance claim investigation.
Required Information Needed for Auto Insurance Claims
- The names and contact information of the victims involved in the accident.
- Insurance policies of both parties (for comparison of car accident insurance claim processes and stolen car claim investigation )
- Details of the time, date and location of the accident
- Photos of the accident as proof of evidence
- Police and accident report.
After filing the claim you would be directed to a claim adjuster who will examine and determine who’s at fault. If you are at fault you would be required to pay your auto insurance deductible.
Auto Insurance Deductible
It is the money you pay directly from your pocket before your insurance company would see to the others. It is important you pay the deductible as your insurance company would compensate you only if you did.
This is how it’s done. Let’s take for instance you have $2000 deductibles and your car damages are $5000. Your insurance company will pay $3000 for the repairs while you would pay the remaining $2000 this is after you must have made payments of your deductibles.
It is essential that you know the amount of deductible assigned to you and also the type of coverage you have whether comprehensive or collision coverage.
Comprehensive Insurance Claim Process
There are two types of Auto insurance coverage which is comprehensive insurance and collision insurance.
Comprehensive insurance coverage is a kind of coverage that covers the total damage caused to your car that is not by a collision or accident.
It covers damages as a result of theft, trashing, fire, animals, natural disasters, riots and others. Even if you file for claims under comprehensive coverage or a collision policy, the process stays the same.
Auto Insurance Claim Process Flow Chart
Whether you are filing for a comprehensive or collision insurance claim. This insurance claim process flow chart below applies:
- Ensure you contact your insurance provider at the set time given by your insurance company.
- Have a detailed information on issues of your insurance policy, deductible, deadlines etc.
- Work hand in hand with your insurance adjuster with the information you submitted
- Review your insurance policy and damage compensation.
- See to it that you get the repairs done.
Should I File an Auto Insurance Claim With my Insurance or the Other Party Insurance?
It is expected that if a car accident is your fault, you’ll want to file a claim with your own insurance company. But if you have collision coverage and you are not at fault, this is the best time to file a claim with your own insurance company as soon as possible especially if the other party isn’t in agreement with you or has issues with his or her insurance provider.
Also, if you’re not at fault and want to avoid the payment of your deductible, you can as well file a claim with the other party’s insurance.
Conclusion
Having auto insurance claims can ease the stress of spending an unplanned budget for damages or getting a new car if your car was stolen. As it is often said that ‘knowledge is power ‘ you can as well apply the auto insurance claim process in this article when needed.
It is important you drive safely to avoid car accidents as not all accidents can guarantee that you come out successful. So ensure you avoid problems that could lead to accidents as it is extremely important that we have you on our planet. Drive safe! Stay happy!
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