How do I go about filing an insurance claim?

How to file an auto insurance claim

A claim is a formal request that you make to your insurance company to pay for damages from an accident. After you pay your deductible amount, the auto insurance company is required to pay your claim up to your coverage limit.

The first thing you should do after being involved in an accident (after making sure that everyone involved gets proper medical attention, if necessary) is to contact your insurer. Let the insurance representative know that you need to file an accident claim. The representative will ask you for pertinent details such as the time, location and details of the incident.

You will also need to submit a copy of the accident report filed by the police to your insurance company. If your car is damaged, your insurance company will send out someone to assess the damages. They will also request any injury reports or medical bills for injuries sustained during the accident. Be sure to get receipts for all of your expenses related to the accident. Also, if you give a copy of the receipts to your insurance company, make sure to keep a copy for yourself, too.

The insurance company will assign an adjuster to handle your claim. Keep regular contact with the adjuster during the claim investigation and process. Be sure to ask for an estimate when the claim will by paid.

If an unreasonable amount of time has passed and you feel your insurance company is not doing its best to resolve and pay the claim, contact the National Insurance Consumer Helpline at (800) 942-4242 and seek advice and arbitration to get payment for your claim. In extreme circumstances, you may need to hire an attorney to get the money you deserve from your insurance company.