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| Automobile
Claim Filing Tips | When filing a claim on your automobile insurance, you should take the following steps:- Always
report an incident to the police,
regardless of
how minor it seems. What looks like a small dent or
scratch could
actually cost you several hundred dollars to repair.
- Make
sure the police officer gives you a copy of the drivers'
information-exchange form.
- Write down names, addresses and phone numbers
of any
witnesses in case you need them later.
- Call your insurance agent and company immediately
for
further instructions. The insurer may deny payment
of your claim if
you do not report the accident.
- Make sure that you include
all information
on your
insurance application. If you withheld information
which would have
caused the insurance company to deny coverage originally,
they may
void your policy from its effective date and refuse to pay a claim.
- Make
sure that your insurance company agrees to pay
before you start any repairs.
- Check all repairs
afterwards. Check them at the shop and
then again at home.
- Get a copy of the itemized repairs
on a form printed with
the repair shop's name and address.
- Your
insurance company may send an adjuster to inspect your
automobile before you obtain any necessary repairs,
or it may
instruct you to obtain a specified number of estimates
for the
work. Find out from your insurance company
what to do about
supplemental damage in case the repair shop finds something
caused
by the accident but not on the original estimate.
- You
may choose which repair shop
you want to fix your
vehicle after an accident, unless otherwise stated
in the
policy. Some companies require policyholders to use
auto-repair
shops approved by the company. These companies usually
offer a
premium discount in exchange for your agreement to
this
provision.
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