Some drivers are fortunate enough that they never need to find out the answer to the question, “How do I file an auto insurance claim?” personally. When an accident occurs, a policyholder has an obligation to report the incident to the insurance company, even if the damage to the vehicle and/or any injuries sustained are relatively minor.

Your insurance policy is a legally-binding contract between you and your auto insurance provider. As long as you make your premium payments as agreed, the insurance company is required to provide coverage up to the coverage limit you chose to buy. In return, you have an obligation to cooperate with your insurance company to provide the information it needs to evaluate and settle any claims made against your policy. Part of your obligation to your auto insurance provider is to allow the company to inspect it to evaluate any damage.

Contact the Auto Insurance Company

The first step in filing an auto insurance claim is to contact the company in a reasonable time following the accident. Most companies have a dedicated number which policyholders can use to file a claim. If your insurance company doesn’t have this service on a 24/7 basis and the accident occurred outside of regular business hours, contact the company as soon as the phone lines are open.

When you contact the insurance company, your call may be answered by a call center employee. You will be asked some basic questions at this point. The person on the phone will let you know when you can expect to hear from a claims adjuster. You should make a point of asking for the adjuster’s name and the phone number of the office which will be dealing with your claim going forward.

Give a Statement to the Claims Adjuster

The adjuster assigned to your file will contact you and take a statement. Be prepared for the adjuster to ask for your permission to record your conversation. He or she will ask you to describe the accident, as well as any damage to your car and the injuries you or your passengers sustained.

Once you have given the adjuster a statement, he or she will explain how the insurance company will evaluate the damage to your car. You may be asked to take the car to a repair shop or an appraiser may come to your home to view it.

You are not obligated to have any repair work done by the body shop the insurance company recommends. If you have used a particular repair shop in the past and were pleased with the results, you can take your car there or to any other garage of your choice.

Along with the claim for physical damage to your car, you are also required to tell the insurance company about your injuries and the medical treatment you were given. The insurance company will ask you to fill out a form consenting to the release of your medical records and bills relating to the accident. The company will not be able to pay out on your personal injury claims unless it can confirm that the expenses were incurred as a result of the accident.

Drivers on the road must have auto insurance coverage in place, the number of people wonder how to go about making a claim against their policy. The first thing you need to do if you need to make a claim against you auto insurance policy is to contact the company. In many cases, the insurer will have a toll-free number specifically for this purpose. You can also find out how to get in touch with the company to make a claim by calling the customer service line for checking out the company’s website.

Write Down Details of the Incident

While the incident is still fresh in your mind, write down as much information as you can remember. It’s important to be specific. Only make note of what you personally saw or experienced, without guessing or speculating about details.

The claim you make to your insurance company will be based on this information. Along with your personal statement, take some pictures of your vehicle showing the damage it sustained. When you contact your auto insurance company to make the claim, you want to make sure you include as much detail as possible and being able to use pictures as well as words will help the insurer evaluate your claim more accurately.

If the Claim Involves a Criminal Offense

In a situation where the claim you’re making to your auto insurance company involves a criminal offense, such as damage to your vehicle, items stolen from your vehicle, or that the vehicle itself is stolen, you all so need to file a report with the police. Your insurance company will need to report number, so make sure you make note of this important information.

Once You Have Made Your Claim

Once you have made your claim, the insurance company will assign an adjuster to your file. You’ll want to be sure to make note of all conversations you have with your insurance provider in connection with the matter, as well as the name of anyone you speak with.

You will also need to keep copies of any documentation or receipts for expenses you incurred in support of your claim. The insurance company adjuster will need to evaluate the amount of damage done to the vehicle, before determining whether the car can be repaired the roof will be classified as a write off.

While you can go ahead and get quotes for repairing your vehicle from more than one garage, you will want to hold off on getting the work done until you have been advised that the insurance company will pay for it.You can use the repair shop of your choice, even if it is not on the list the insurance company provides. The list will include businesses the insurance company has worked with in past. If you jump the gun and have work done without authorization, the insurance company is not required to reimburse you for this expense.