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How to get car insurance claim

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With the number of vehicles bombarding our roads it’s no surprise that we may have to file an auto insurance claim at some point in time. Being reimbursed for our medical bills by the insurance company has never been a problem. However, vehicle damage requires proof to make an insurance claim. Even though the insurance policy varies across states, yet the fundamental act of filing an insurance claim remains analogous.

The adjuster visits your damaged vehicle to provide you with an estimated cost of the repairs, upon filing a claim in the event of an accident. Next, you inquire from your insurance provider the willingness to reimburse or pay towards the costs of repairs. Every insurance company requires proof of damage prior assenting to the payment.

5 Elements of Proof:

The essential elements to make an auto insurance claim include:

  • FIR (First Information Report) at the police station
  • Eye witness reports and physical damage at the accident site
  • Information provided by you to your insurance company
  • Information provided by the opposite party to your insurers

Things to do immediately after the accident:

Call 911 in event of a serious injury. Alternatively, seek the help of medical professionals if the injury is bearable and immediately inform the police because you will require an FIR report while filing the insurance claim.

Obtain the relevant information like license plate numbers, contact details and insurance information. Acquire the phone numbers of the opposite party. Your insurance identification card holds every important detail.

Gather some witnesses who are willing to speak the truth. These witnesses will reveal what they saw at the accident site. If witness is hard to come by, FIR report will amply support your insurance claim instead.

Immediately inform your insurance company.

Pursue the claim through your insurance company, and seek the other cost reimbursements that your insurer won’t pay, from the opposite party’s insurance company.

The adjuster post inspection of your vehicle will perform cost estimation regarding repairs of the damages.

You may have to report your version of the accident to the opposite party’s insurer.

In situation where the estimates cost is lower than the actual cost of repairs use arbitration. However, if the dispute remains unsettled, knock the doors of the law.

Things to avoid for obtaining insurance claim:

  • Poor driving record
  • Poor credit history
  • Poor safety measures

With the increasing fleet of cars on the roads accidents can be avoided if you drive safely, within speed limits and obey the traffic rules.