Getting in a car accident can be a very upsetting experience to say the least, and dealing with the aftermath can be equally upsetting. At least the car accident is over in seconds. Auto insurance claims can take weeks to be finalized. Making it through the process will be much easier if you have an idea of how to file an auto insurance claim.
After the accident the first thing you should do is to make sure no one is injured. The next thing to do is to call the police. Even if the accident is minor the police should be called. They will be an impartial witness to the accident and make sure that all of the paperwork is handled correctly.
The next step is to exchange information .This means you should get, and give, all drivers license information, insurance information, and the license plate number. It is also very important to get the telephone number of the other driver. This is also a good time to look for any witnesses to the accident. If there are witnesses ask them if they are willing to testify as to what they saw. If you are at fault, and you know it, then let the other party seek witness corroboration.
After exchanging auto insurance information and getting witness contact information the next thing to do is to call your own car insurance company. The person you speak with will walk you through the exact process for filing a claim.
This is a good time to ask your car insurance representative what to say if the other person's insurance company calls you. They may tell you not to say anything except to have them contact your auto insurance representative. Do not deviate from this if it is what they advise regardless of what the other person's insurance company says you have to do.
After this the adjuster will come to assess the damage to your vehicle. The insurance company will write you a check for this amount, minus your deductible, and you can have your car repaired.
If there is any dispute about the costs of the repair you should call your car insurance company and file a dispute. If this proves to be ineffective then call your state's Division of Insurance and lodge a complaint which will be investigated. Hopefully any auto insurance claims you have to file will go through smoothly and you can disregard this advice, but if not now you know what to do.
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