Insurance companies are known for denying or reducing claims on flimsiest of grounds. You have to know how claims are processed and know the things you have to do to speed-up this process or else you might be in for a long wait.
It is important to know the basic steps in filing car accident insurance claims. First, is documentation. By this, we mean the kind of papers you have to submit to an insurance company and when you should submit them to make a claim valid. Second, are things you have to do after managing to file claims.
If it is possible, file claims for medical and damages to property right after the accident. Try and call your insurance agent immediately and report the accident. You have better chance getting claims settled quickly when the insurance company is informed of the accident at the earliest time possible.
An insurance company will ask you to fill-out a claim form. You will be required to attach support to this claim. This will include medical certificates of people who were injured in this accident and pictures of damaged cars if there were any. It is advisable also to secure statements of witnesses and establish who caused the accident.
Car accident insurance claims for medical expenses must be filed not later than 30 days after medical examinations. Make sure that the doctor who examined the persons injured indicates the diagnosis code found in receipts. An insurance company can delay claim payments because of this.
A claims adjuster will be responsible for assessment of extent of damages. You can make temporary repairs to your car to prevent further damage, but not before the adjuster has made his assessments. An insurance company will pick up the bill so you do not have to worry it. Make sure, however, and keep the damaged materials. Most insurance companies will want to see proof of damage.
It is a practice of insurance companies to delay paying whenever possible. Forty-five days after the filing the claim and no payment have been made, call the insurer and demand for faster processing of claims.
An insurance company will try and reduce the amount of car accident insurance claim. No surprise in that. They will deny your claim if they can. You should be prepared for this. If you have a strong case, do not hesitate to negotiate for higher amount of settlement. If negotiations are proving difficult, there are people you can ask for help. You may need assistance of a lawyer who is an expert in car accident insurance.
