Talking With Insurance Companies

Although most motorists are aware of the importance of having auto insurance to make sure they are financially protected if they ever get into a car accident, not many people ever think that they will need to use their insurance. Thus, while you could be paying your premium religiously, you may have no idea of what would be expected of you if you were to seek a claim from your insurance provider. Fortunately, the process is not complicated.

However, to make sure that there are no errors in your filing, it is essential to acquaint yourself with what goes into it so that you are not caught by surprise down the road. If you have been recently involved in a car accident, read on to learn what you should expect when filing an auto insurance claim.

Do you need evidence of the accident?

The short answer is yes, but this does not mean that you should just take pictures of your car and head over to the auto insurance company with the images as proof. Instead, it is always best to reach out to the authorities for a police report. There are several advantages of obtaining a police report. For starters, the authorities will gather evidence thoroughly via pictures and video, so their report will paint a clear picture of the events leading up to the car accident.

Secondly, the police report will also include interviews from relevant parties that witnessed the accident, and this will help with determining liability. Overall, by obtaining a police report, you are being proactive about ensuring that the documented details surrounding the car accident are accurate and unbiased, which increases the likelihood of a favorable decision for your auto insurance claim.

Do you need to provide your insurance provider with additional data?

A presumption you may have about filing an auto insurance claim is that you simply need a description of the accident, but this is untrue. The reality is that your insurance provider needs to know all relevant details, as this allows them to clarify all parties that were involved as well as the extent of the damages.

Thus, in addition to providing them with the names and contacts of all parties, you should also have the registration numbers of vehicles that were in the accident. You should also make note of property damage and injuries to yourself and other parties while on-site too, as this helps decrease the risk of another party exaggerating their demands down the road in an attempt to get compensated more than they are eligible for.