Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Collisions and Seattle Auto Insurance Coverage

By Steve Turner

An adjuster from your Seattle Auto Insurance provider will come and evaluate the expenses related to an accident that you have been in. To help get your claim processed quickly it is beneficial to know what the adjuster will be investigating.

The insurance adjuster will begin by taking pictures of your vehicle. He will do this to record any damage that resulted from the collision, and to document any pre-existing damage. An appraisal for the damage will then be set.

You will be asked to give your statement pertaining to the accident. The insurance adjuster may ask questions with the intention of leading you to say something that would allow them to deny your claim. Answer carefully.

Witnesses of the collision will be asked to give statements of what they saw. They will be contacted by the insurance adjuster through information provided to them by you or the police officers.

The adjuster will perform a background check on you to see if you have ever filed an insurance claim before. If he asks for your social security number to perform this search, you do not have to provide it.

To evaluate the extent of your injuries the adjuster will ask you to sign a medical release form. To protect your medical history make sure that you are not authorizing them to any information other than that relating to the collision.

Have an outside expert evaluate the damages to your vehicle. The insurance provider will also have an expert evaluate this, but they will be looking for ways to minimize your claim. An outsider will give some perspective.

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