How do I Claim From my Insurance Company in the Event of an Accident With my Vehicle?

Living in the United States, cars are now a common form of transportation and in order to drive on the roads, drivers need to have auto liability insurance in addition to a driver's license in order to be considered legal. Driving without insurance is a crime, so you can imagine the importance of auto insurance. So, how do you make a claim after an accident? The following tips can help you.

1. Gather the necessary information to help you make a claim

The first thing you should do when your vehicle is involved in an accident is to take down the other party's vehicle information (licence plate, colour, model) to avoid a hit-and-run. Take photos on your mobile phone at the scene to document the damage to your vehicle in the form of pictures, which may come in handy when you make a claim to your insurance company later.

2. Call the police at 911

If your car has been damaged and you want to repair it through your insurance company's claim, for example, it is essential to call the police. The police report will help your insurance company to identify who is responsible for the damage so that the claim can be processed.

3. Call your insurance company

Call your insurance company and give details of when and where the accident occurred, how it happened, and the damage to the car and people. Alternatively, provide them with evidence directly, such as; the photographs you took and the report produced by the police.

You may choose not to be insured in the following situations.

（1）. The only person involved in the accident is yourself and the accident is so small that it does not meet the requirements to pay out. For example, a roadside cut, a minor collision while parking.

（2）. If you are the responsible party and the other vehicle is only slightly damaged, you may choose to settle the matter privately. It will take a lot of your time and effort to apply for compensation from the insurance company.

4. Determination of damage and valuation

Once you have reported your insurance, follow your insurance company's instructions to visit the repair location to have the damage to your vehicle assessed. The amount of your claim is determined by the extent of the damage to your vehicle and whether or not the vehicle is scrapped. For example; if your vehicle is a relatively new car and you have new car replacement insurance, but because of this accident the vehicle will have been scrapped, then your insurance company will pay the cost of getting you into a new car. Of course, the amount of your claim may also be less, and that is because of the difference in the value of the car before and after the accident.

5. Get an approved price for repairs

After your claims specialist has looked at your vehicle and determined that it is not totaled, you will receive an estimate from your insurance company for repairs to your vehicle. Do not approve any repairs until you have received an estimate from your insurance company. You want to be sure that the money to repair your vehicle is paid for the repairs from the amount approved by your insurance company.