Cars come with a lot of responsibility. Driving safe and having a clean record may come easy to most people but even then a small mistake, a moment of distraction can cost you heavily. What is important is to stay alert and insured. That will make a lot of the problems lesser. Accidents are incidents that we do not wish to remember but if you are involved in one then you will need to get down to a lot of procedures and make sure you do all that is needed for your insurance claim to go through. Firstly if you are uninsured and the accident has been clearly the other driver’s fault you can still get into a lot of trouble. From fines to getting your license suspended the repercussions are many.
When you have had a mishap, then you need to sit down and evaluate our situation. Call your insurance agent and have them tell you what you may not be covered for in case there are some extensive damages. If it is minor incidents then make sure you still go to the hospital and have a thorough check up done. A minor injury can emerge as a big problem later on, so be safe than sorry. When involved in some accident make sure that you exchange all pertinent information to avoid issues later on. Get the driver’s name, number and insurance company’s number and also give yours to them. The proof of insurance card will have all the details required on it for such needs.
If you can find witnesses to identify the cause and present a narrative in case this is required see if anyone is willing to come forward. You cannot force someone to bear witness but if a conscientious citizen is willing to get involved then get their name and number and ask them if they can help. It is also important to file a report of your accident with the local authorities at the earliest. If none are available in the immediate area then contact law enforcement officers. Also inform your insurance company immediately and the insurance adjuster will be sent to look at the case, determine the cause and any other details as required. If the accident was not your fault at all and it is proven, then your insurance company or the insurance company of the other party will be liable to pay for your car’s repairs. When using the other party’s policy to pay for your losses, you will not have to worry about any payments on your end such as a deductible.
When doing the settlement look at all the various factors and inspect that any bodily injuries, damages and appraisals that need to be done are completed and paid for in the proper manner. If there is some dispute then make sure it is settled before you release your insurance company. You have been paying for the policy and it is your right to check that all the necessary procedures are done to your satisfaction as a consumer. Filing a claim is no joke but following some simple procedures and being well versed about the terms of your policy are always important to making sure things are done right. Check your policy for an appraisal clause and talk to your insurers about having it included if it is not there.
