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In theory, submitting a car insurance claim should be easy for policyholders because that is essentially what taking out a policy is for. Unfortunately, for millions of motorists each year, the claims process is unnecessarily complex, baffling, and stressful. Claimed forms are constantly denied, claims adjusters request documents that were never mentioned, and there are telltale delays in the claims process, leading to extended timelines before an insurer pays anything.
Smooth claims become possible through proper process and preparation. You are able to manage a near frictionless claims process if you know in detail what to expect at each stage, including the moment after an accident, right up to the final act of the process. In this guide, I have put together all the pertinent information for each stage of filing a car insurance claim.
Safety and Security Before all Things
Safety is the primary concern after any incident that may result in a claim, not paperwork. If you are able to, and moving the car is safe and removes the car from a scene, you should try to place the vehicle in a better location before anything else. After that, you should first ensure the safety of all persons and then, if there are injuries, or the vehicle is creating a road hazard, you should first call the authorities.
After the situation has attained some degree of safety, begin the background information collection. Before anyone drives away, request the other driver’s name, phone number, and insurance/registration information. It is also a good idea to take the initiatives and snap a few pictures of every vehicle, preferably from different angles. Capture a few pictures of the damage, the exact locations and number of the vehicles involved, license plates, skid marks, the signage and the control lights. Record the name and phone number of the witnesses, if any. It is important to collect evidence for a claim, and gathering them at the scene is easier than trying to reconstruct it later. The evidence removes any doubts and significantly improves the strength of your claim.
Step Two — Alert Your Insurer at the Earliest
Most insurance contracts include a clause that prescribes the notice to be given to the insurer after any event. Regarding accidents, the notice to be given can be as immediate as within twenty four hours. Therefore, if an event is not instantly reported to the insurance company, the claim is unlikely to be honored and the claim stands to be seriously affected. Regardless of whether a claim is to be made, it’s important to notify the insurer.
When calling, make sure to have your policy number and all the information you collected at the scene of the incident. Their claims team will register the event, issue a claim number, and inform you of the proper documents and procedures for your policy. Keep record of the claim number and write down the name of the claims team representative you have a conversation with. For all future communications, make sure to reference your claim number so that all documents and communications are linked to the correct file. An easier option for some will be using the insurer’s mobile app to document the incident and file the claim directly, allowing for the submission of all required documents via the app.
Step Three — Provide All Documents Required
Following the initial claim, your insurer will formally reach out and request a set of documents and evidence in support of your claim. The number of documents and the type will vary for each insurer and will also depend on the type of the incident, but with respect to automobile incident claims, the required documents will be fairly standard across the industry.
You will usually need to provide, along with your claim, a completed claim form that is provided by your insurer, a copy of your drivers license, your proof of insurance, the police report or FIR number if the police were called or if the claim dcovers theft or a third party injury, photos of the damage taken at the scene, and if the claim is for damage to your vehicle, an estimate of the costs of repair from an approved or preferred repair shop/district. For this type of claim, when it is required that your vehicle be surrendered, your vehicle’s original registration documents and backup keys will also need to be provided. It is also very important that all of these documents be submitted together because the incomplete nature of a claim is the one most frequent, single reason that a claim is delayed. Be sure to safeguard a digital copy of everything that you submit in order to provide the track record of a claim and a date and time record of claim submission.
Step Four – Behave in a Professional Manner and Work with the Claims Adjuster
Once your completed documents are submitted, your insurance agency will designate a claims adjuster, and this individual is also called a loss adjuster. Their role is to be responsible for vehicle inspections, statements of loss, checking claims and other documents, and deciding what level of settlement will be offered by the insurance company.
Be as accommodating as possible regarding any requests made by the adjuster. If the adjuster requests an in-person inspection of the automobile, set one up as soon as possible. If documentation is requested, be as timely as possible. For every document and every communication, ensure that the information you are providing is consistent and accurate. Out of sync information is bound to raise numerous questions and prolong the inevitable. The adjuster is providing the assessment that is needed for this claim, and if this assessment seems lower than what the market reflects, the adjustment is in your right to assume an independent repair estimate and protest for the adjustment prior to any settlement offer.
Step Five — The review of the Settlement and Closure of the Claim.
That part of the claim is settled once the adjuster has completed the assessment and the claim is closed. For repair claims, the settlement is typically provided in the form of an approved repair authorization that goes to the workshop (where the settlement is provided to the garage and the claim is processed minus any excess). Total loss claims are claims made for an insurance payout greater than the repair estimate that goes to the garage (in this case claim is processed for greater than the pre-accident market value (post-accident loss in value).
Before you accept any offer of settlement, you should carefully review the offer. Make sure the proposed scope of repairs covers the each line of documented damage at the scene. For total loss claims, the market value claim should reflect an actual price for a fully functional car of the same make, model, year, and condition. If you think the damage assessment offer is too favorable, positively prove that with documents from reputable companies, and then make a formal counter-proposal in writing. Once you accept the settlement, sign the necessary forms, and keep the signed documents in the personal file you keep. When the claim is finalized, contact your insurance company to determine how the claim will affect your no claims bonus, and to establish the premium for the next policy period at renewal.
Final Thoughts
Most people think that filing a total loss car insurance claim will always be an unpleasant and extremely complicated experience. But actually, that is not the case. If you interact with the claim adjuster in a professional manner, and you review your policy and then study the settlement before you sign anything, you should have no problems with your policy. For you to be able to gain a sense of happiness from the claim, we encourage you to review and study the policy as loss claims come with an element of complication and so you should be aware of your rights.
This article is for general informational and educational purposes only, that is, by publishing the article, we don’t consider ourselves as car insurance policy specialists. Different car insurance companies publish different claims guides. Please read your policy documents and you should gain an appreciation of their value.
