How to file a car insurance claim #CashNews.co

Getting in a car accident can be one of the most stressful experiences of your life.

While you can’t go back in time to avoid an accident that’s already happened, there are ways you can approach the claims process that make the situation a bit easier. Whether you’re filing a claim with your own insurance company or with another driver’s carrier, here’s what you need to know to get the best outcome.

Filing an accident claim with your car insurance company

Whether you’re in a fender bender or a serious crash, it’s critical to start the claims process quickly. Your first call should be to your own car insurance company. At the very least, your carrier needs to know that you were involved in an accident and that the vehicle they insure has been damaged or totaled.

Filing with your insurance company first

If you are at-fault for the accident, your insurance company will be responsible for paying out any valid claims for property damage or bodily injury, up to your coverage limits. They will want to take a statement from you about the accident, gather information about the drivers and vehicles involved and take down any documentation you have, such as an accident report and photos from the scene of the accident..

Even if you’re not at-fault, though, contacting your own carrier is still important, especially if you have full coverage car insurance. That’s because your carrier can initiate your car insurance claim against the at-fault driver’s company for you and start providing you with services like a rental car, medical payments coverage, and any other optional benefits you chose when you bought your policy … even before the other driver’s carrier accepts responsibility.

Your carrier will later recoup those costs from the other insurance company, once fault has been established and accepted.

Read more: What to know about rental reimbursement coverage

Staying in the loop

You’ll be assigned a claims adjuster, who will take down relevant information about the accident and keep you updated about the status of payments, your vehicle’s repairs, your rental car term and more. If there are injuries involved, you may be assigned a second insurance adjuster for that portion of your claim.

The process of gathering insurance information, understanding policy details like your deductible and figuring out repair costs can be intimidating — especially if you’re responsible for an accident. But it’s important to cooperate with the insurance company’s investigation. This will allow things to move along as quickly as possible, so that vehicles can be repaired and claims paid out within a reasonable time limit. If you refuse to cooperate or offer information, your policy could even be marked for nonrenewal.

Your adjuster will likely reach out multiple times with updates and questions. If extensive repairs are required or your vehicle is deemed a total loss, expect additional representatives to contact you.

Read more: How to file a diminished value claim after an accident

How to file a car accident claim against another driver

If another driver is responsible for an accident, the liability portion of their auto insurance policy will pay for your vehicle’s damage and any injuries you’ve incurred, up to their policy limits.

If the accident results in only minor damage or fault for the crash is obvious — and you’re sure that you and your passengers walked away without any injuries — you might be safe to contact the other driver’s carrier directly and begin the claims process. You should get a photo of the other driver’s insurance card, which will have a claims phone number. If not, search online to find the carrier’s claims number.

The carrier will ask for the other driver’s information to pull up the policy, and your information to begin the claim. Expect them to ask for your driver’s license number, license plate number, birthdate, name, address, contact information and more.

Now, here’s why you need to be cautious when talking with the other driver’s car insurance company — especially if you think you may be injured. You’ll likely be asked to record an official statement about the accident, including how it occurred and what happened afterward. Anything you say in this recording could later be used against you; if you leave out details, misspeak, or even just say you’re “doing all right” when the agent first greets you, you may have trouble getting fairly compensated for an injury that presents itself later on.

Even if the other driver’s carrier ultimately accepts liability, their interest will be in limiting the money they must pay for things like repair costs and medical bills, not in making you whole.

What happens in a no-fault state?

Some states are known as no-fault states. Drivers in these states are required to purchase no-fault auto insurance coverage, sometimes called personal injury protection (PIP) coverage. This no-fault insurance is designed to cover you and your passengers’ injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, funeral expenses, and more, regardless of who is at-fault for the accident.

This is in contrast to other “typical” insurance states (also known as tort states), where expenses related to injuries and other personal expenses are covered by the liable driver’s policy. Some carriers will allow you to opt-in to PIP or medical payments (medpay) coverage even if you aren’t in a no-fault state; this optional coverage can then be used to pay for lost wages, insurance deductibles, prescriptions, and medical care following an accident, so you aren’t forced to unexpectedly cover these out-of-pocket.

No-fault insurance is not designed to cover vehicle damage, theft, repairs, etc. Instead, these expenses are covered by the at-fault driver’s liability coverage or your own collision policy.

Important considerations for every auto insurance claim

Before leaving the scene of an accident, regardless of who is at fault, it’s important to gather certain information and documentation that auto insurance companies want. These will help ensure that the right carrier takes responsibility and that claims are paid accurately and promptly.

Be sure that you have:

• Photos of the vehicles involved and any damage

• Details of the vehicles involved (year, make, model, color)

• Information about the road and weather conditions at the time of the accident

• Photos of the road, intersection, etc. where the accident occurred

• The other driver’s information, including their policy number

• A copy of the police report, if one was taken, and the reporting officer’s name and badge number

• The tow company’s information, if your vehicle was taken from the scene

Managing injuries

If there are any injuries, you’ll want to document those (even if that just means noting injuries that other drivers appear to have). If you or your passengers are injured, get medical attention at the scene or visit a hospital or urgent care facility following the accident.

It’s imperative that if you think you’re injured at all, seek medical attention in the hours following the accident. Don’t wait weeks to see a doctor! Be sure to get records of everything, too. Note your medical appointments, keep visit summaries and take detailed notes of your pain, if applicable.

Negotiating a settlement

If another driver is responsible for an accident, you can expect a settlement offer that will cover your property damage and losses, injuries resulting from the accident, and sometimes, additional funds for your pain, suffering, lost wages, and more.

How difficult it is to get that settlement — or settle on a fair dollar amount — can vary, though.

Your settlement offer will depend on the severity of the accident as well as the responsible driver’s coverage limits. A carrier won’t willingly offer you a larger settlement than those limits, even if your losses are greater.

It may benefit you to seek legal advice from an attorney in your area. Most consultations are free of charge and can give you an idea of your options, especially if your case is complex. If necessary, an attorney can negotiate with the at-fault party’s insurance carrier to get a fair settlement, or even file a lawsuit to get you the money you need.

Types of insurance coverage and what they pay for in an accident

Before you find yourself facing a car insurance claim, it’s important to understand the different types of insurance coverage available, what each is intended to pay for, and what your own car insurance policy protects. This will help ensure that you always have the coverage you need, long before you actually need to file a claim.

• Liability insurance is mandated in most states and covers both property damage and bodily injury losses incurred by someone else when you’re at-fault for an accident. Each state has its own minimum coverage limit, though you can always buy additional coverage if desired.

• Collision coverage is optional in many cases (unless your vehicle is financed or leased) and is designed to cover your own car damages if you’re at-fault for an accident.

• Comprehensive coverage is another optional coverage that is intended to cover vehicle loss or damage not related to a collision. Things like car theft, vandalism, or acts of God (think a tree falling on your car) belong under this umbrella.

• Personal injury protection is required in no-fault states but may also be available in some tort states through select carriers. This coverage is designed to cover your (and your passengers’) medical bills, prescriptions, co-pays, funeral expenses, and even lost wages, regardless of who is at-fault for the accident.

• Uninsured motorist/underinsured motorist coverage is optional and designed to further protect you if you are hit by a driver who doesn’t have auto insurance or didn’t buy enough coverage. Even if another driver has the legal amount of state-minimum coverage, this may not be enough to provide full reimbursement of your property and injury losses.