Following steps explain on filing a claim on auto owners insurance.
Evaluation of damages
When a vehicle meets with an accident, the driver or the insured party is the one who comes under stress. The first thing to be ensured is that the insured party is safe with no physical damage or injury. And if it is a fender bender, step out of the vehicle and identify the damages of the vehicle. If the accident occurs in the middle of a road, it should be immediately reported to the police. Generating a police report might be helpful in claiming the insurance from the auto owners. The damages can be captured in a camera or from your mobile phone to be included in the claim.
Proper exchange of information
Instead of blaming the other party, it is always a better option to exchange the following information with the driver – your name, Contact details, your insurance company, phone number and policy number and also the make, model and license number of your car
Sometimes, the other party doesn’t want you to file the claim with the insurance company and may also offer money for doing so as the other party may not have insurance and may want to hold policy rate for more time. It should be insisted from your side that you want to file the claim with the company.
Provide the details of the accident to the auto owner insurance company
If the accident is a minor one and if it is possible to drive the vehicle, the same can be done. The details of the minor accident along with the insurance details such name, policy number, name of insurer, etc., can be provided to the insurance company through phone call. The company may also provide you the option of online filing of claim for minor damages.
On the other hand, if the damages are on a higher side, the insured party will have to contact the insurance company immediately to enable the representative of the company to visit the scene of the accident, assess and approve the same. The representative may ask the insured party a few questions and determine the cost of repair or replacement, as the case may be. Once the damages are approved, the company may ask you to fill the claim form. The insurance company may then finalise the cost of damages and pay for the damaged vehicle either in the form of cheque in favour of insured party or directly pay to the repairing company.
