Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Steps To Process A Car Accident Insurance Claim

By Graham McKenzie

Filing a claim for accident insurance is very easy, but the anticipation regarding the accident make the process seems very tough to get completed. If you file your claim correctly, in the right way then it should be processed in less than a week?s time, though it may take almost a month before you receive your check for any medical expense or damage.

Once you are in an accident you should first check to make sure that everyone is all right. If it was a severe accident someone may have to call 911 to get help. It is also important to remember that you should not admit fault at any time after an accident. If it turns out that the accident wasn?t your fault you may still end up paying as a result. Try to get everyone calmed down and relaxed before approaching the other driver or drivers.

You must approach the other party only to exchange contact details and information. You must get details like their names, address, and phone number. If you find that the other driver is upset then let the police officer arrive and take this information on your behalf. The police officer will draft a report with whatever information he can gather by talking to both parties and inspecting the accident area.

Before anything else is done you should take a few quick pictures. Of course, if you are in a busy area they will want to get the cars out of the way as soon as possible, but you need to get pictures before anything is moved. Get pictures of the damage to both cars and the surrounding area.

You must also call your claims representative at this time. If both the parties have a little time to spare then the claims representative can come at the spot and inspect. They assist in the claims process by taking pictures, questioning the witnesses, and preparing the report accordingly. The agents also assist you by filling up the form either with you in person or over the phone. The agents may want to know the accurate time and location of the accident. You may also get a copy of the police report and send it to the insurance company.

After you have called your claims representative, taken pictures, and exchanged information with the driver you are allowed to leave the place. If you knock own someone?s car and drive away without exchanging any information it is called hit and run. You may receive a check through your mail for expenses incurred due to the damages, however this may take time. Most probably you will have to pay out of your own pocket for all the costs of fixing your car.

You can ask several things to the claims agent to clearly understand the claims procedure. You may ask things like your coverage details, as different types of plans offer dissimilar coverage. You may question the agents as to when the remaining paper work is due, though its generally done in less than a week. In case of grave accidents, you may get your lawyer have a look at your legal formalities and paper work.