While insuring your vehicle is a great way to protect your investment, no one ever wants to find themselves acting on it. However, accidents happen, and if you aren’t familiar with the insurance claims process, you may end up making costly mistakes.
Here’s a guide that can help you understand how insurance claims work and what you need to know before filing an insurance claim.
How Do Auto Insurance Claims Work?
Once you get into an accident, you’re required to file a claim with your insurance provider for compensation. Normally, an adjuster will inspect the damage to your vehicle and injuries caused, and offer you a certain amount, depending on your auto insurance coverage and terms.
Your insurance claim can also cover you for damages when you’re at fault. It’s vital to note that each time you file an auto insurance claim, you’ll have to pay a deductible out-of-pocket before receiving your reimbursement.
What You Need To Know
Although the insurance claims process can be complicated and challenging, understanding your policy ensures you receive the compensation you deserve. Luckily, you can seek the experience and expertise of a lawyer when filing your insurance claim to ease the process.
Lawyers understand how insurance claims work and can provide you with quality service that guarantees you get reimbursed.
Here’s what you need to know about your insurance claims process:
1. Communication With Your Insurance Company Is Vital
After an accident, you should inform your insurance company, whether it’s covered under your policy or not. Most insurance companies have a timeline for filing claims, and they can easily deny liability if you fail to adhere to these rules.
Besides, failing to notify your provider makes them question the legitimacy of your claim and the severity of your damages. Therefore, always inform your insurance company about your accident and maintain constant contact with them.
2. Paperwork Can Make Or Break Your Case
There’s more to filing your claim than making a request to your insurance provider for compensation. You need to support your claim by filling out forms, giving out a statement regarding the accident and your loss, and sharing critical pieces of evidence such as photographs.
Such details are vital as they help your insurance provider determine the exact details of your auto accident.
3. Damage Appraisal Is A Must
Damage appraisals aim to identify the scope of damage and the cost of repairs. During the process, your adjuster assesses the full extent of the damages you’ve reported taking into account the options you’ve chosen under your insurance policy. They then determine whether your car can be repaired or declared a total loss.
4. You Have To Pay Your Deductible
As mentioned earlier, once you file a claim, you’ll need to pay your deductible. If your damages are declared a total loss, your deductible is deducted from your compensation. However, this may not be applicable if your claim is part of a liability case.
Remember, there is no “one-size-fits-all” outcome when it comes to the insurance claims process. Contact us to learn more about filing insurance claims.