What to Do After a Car Accident | First Steps to Take
If people drive, then there are chances for them to get into accidents. They will have to follow a few steps for filing a claim with their car insurance providers for getting the reimbursement. Also, they need to know when they have to file claims. Read also: What people can do when a car is declared total loss.
They have to contact the insurance providers immediately after the car accident. They can also contact the insurance provider if their vehicles are stolen, vandalized or damaged as a result of severe weather or fire. When they contact the provider for filing a claim, they need to give them a few details such as:
- Policy number.
- Full name.
- Date & time of the accident.
- Names, phone numbers and addresses of all witnesses, drivers and passengers.
- License plate and driver’s license numbers for all the drivers.
How you can deal with insurance companies for negotiating a claim
Insurance companies may also need the people to complete sworn statements which provide details about the accident. They need to make sure that they note personal harm they notice. The process of filing usually involves five steps. Read also: What people can do after car accidents.
Once people contact their car insurance providers, their case may pass through a few steps. The case will first be assigned to a claims professional at the insurance company. People can meet their claims professional in order to talk about the accident and the coverage.
The claims adjuster will then work on the file to evaluate the damages of the car, so that he or she can come up with the initial offer. Once the initial payment is offered, people have the option to ask them on what basis they offer was calculated. This is when, people need to remember that the initial offer by the insurance providers in the not the final one.
Sometimes, the insurance companies might say that the initial offers will be the one that stands till the end. However, people have their rights to assert. When they try to negotiate on the offer, there are high chances for the payment to be affected; people may be able to add some more value to the offer.
Best way to claim for a car accident
The worth of the vehicles that were involved in the accidents is determined by the factors like the vehicle’s age, mileage and its condition before the accident. Going through the reports about these factors can help people in the negotiation process. Read also: How claims adjusters determine the value of cars.
Since people have to protect their property their car insurance provider may need them to make some temporary fixes to their vehicles while they wait for their vehicle repairs. This way, further damage can be prevented. However, people should make sure that they don’t make permanent fixes before they are approved, as these don’t get reimbursed.
Also, they should keep the expenses receipts at they fix their cars. There are cases when people may consider bringing an attorney in to the picture. The attorney may expedite the claims process. If people are not the reason behind the accident, they will be covered by the injury coverage of the other driver. However, the scenario becomes different if there are bodily injuries.