Most people are scared of flying because they know how deadly a plane crash can be. But did you know that planes are the safest way to travel? Most accidents happen on the road when you are driving to work, or on a road trip. In 2019. More than 6 million passenger cars were involved in an accident, making cars one of the most unsafe modes of transport.
Because of this high frequency of accidents, it is mandatory in almost every state to have liability insurance. Along with this, there are many optional auto insurance policies that protect you and your car. While this is commonly known, many people are unaware of the process of an insurance claim, since you have to be in an accident to know it.
So here’s how a car insurance claim process works, be it liability insurance or collision, or comprehensive insurance. Follow these tips to ensure a fast and hurdle-free insurance claim experience.
Before the Accident
It is not enough to be prepared when you get in an accident. It is important to be ready before an accident happens before the auto insurance claim takes place. Here are a few things that you need to know before you can make an insurance claim:
Liability Insurance: A liability insurance policy cannot be claimed by the policyholder. In case you get in a car accident, the other driver can claim your liability insurance to pay for repairs and medical treatments if the accident was your fault. Similarly, you can make a claim on the other driver’s liability policy if the accident was their fault.
Collision Insurance: Collision insurance policy is your personal policy that can be claimed by you to pay for the repairs of your car. This policy can be claimed no matter whose fault the accident was.
Not just car accidents, but you can claim collision coverage in any type of collision accident. Some insurance companies also include damage due to bad roads under this coverage. Collision insurance can be expensive. Make sure you look for cheap auto insurance policies with great coverage to get the best value for money.
Comprehensive Insurance: This policy will cover the cost of repairs for damages due to natural calamities and other that does not include you driving the car. So it includes all the damages to your car when it is parked. Comprehensive auto insurance covers damages due to:
- Fires
- Earthquakes
- Floods
- Hailstorms
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Riots
Personal Injury Protection: A personal injury protection plan will cover the cost of medical treatment that you might need in a car accident. This policy also is not affected by whose fault the accident was and can be claimed in any accident. There are 12 states in the US called “no-fault” states where it is mandatory to have a personal injury protection plan.
Uninsured Motorist Coverage: UM policy can be claimed when the driver at fault does not have liability coverage or has one but the coverage limit of the policy is not enough to pay for the repairs or medical treatments. In such cases, you can claim your UM policy.
A Few Conditions
Before you claim any of your auto insurance policies, there are a few things to know. Firstly, if during the accident you were under the influence, and not just alcohol but any drug that the insurance company might consider to be the cause of the accident, your claim will be rejected and the insurance company might even drop you from the policy. This is applicable to every auto insurance policy.
Secondly, if someone else was driving your car during the accident, insurance companies will accept your claim only if the other person had your permission to drive the car, was not under the influence, and has a driving license.
Some companies reject an insurance claim if one of your family members was driving during the accident. This is why you should add your spouse or anyone else in your family who regularly drives your car as a registered driver in your policy.
How Car Insurance Claim Works
So you just got into an accident, and the damages to the car are severe. Here’s what you should do and how the claim would work:
First, get out of the car and make sure everyone is safe, even the other driver. Get away from the car, do not try to move it or drive it. It could be very dangerous. After you have ensured that you and the other people are okay, call 911 and get the cops on the scene. If someone is injured, call the medics as well.
It is very important to get the cops involved. Insurance companies won’t process a claim if the accident was not properly reported to the police.
Then, the next important step is to exchange insurance information with the other driver. Whether you or the other driver is at fault, you need to exchange insurance information.
After that, take pictures of the accident site, your car, and the other car as well. Get as many pictures as possible from all angles. Specifically, focus on the damaged parts and make a video describing how the accident occurred. This is important as the insurance company will ask you to describe the accident in detail.
Call the Insurance Company
After you have taken the photos and videos, call your insurance agent or go to your insurance company’s website/app and make an insurance claim. The company will reach out to you soon. Even if the accident was not your fault and you are claiming the other driver’s liability policy, it is better that you inform your insurance company as well.
The insurance agent will come to gather information, they’ll look at the police reports, the condition of the car, and look for pictures. They might ask you multiple questions to ensure that it’s not insurance fraud. Give them all the information, and proof, and if everything is in the right place, your claim will be processed within a week or two.
