How to File a Claim on Your Auto Owners Insurance

By: David Schneider, Car Insurance Expert
CheaperCarInsurance.com

If you are involved in a car accident, you’re going to be stressed. While there’s no way around the stress completely, knowing what to expect and what to do to file a claim on your auto owners insurance will help make the claim process run more smoothly.

Step One: Assess the Damage

Immediately after the accident, make sure you are not injured. Sit still and assess whether you have been hurt. If it was a fender bender, step out of the car and walk around your car to see if your vehicle was damaged. Speak with the other party and assess his vehicle as well.

If the accident occurred in the middle of a road, move all vehicles to a safer place. If necessary, call the police to report the accident. Having a police report may prove helpful when you file the claim with your auto owners insurance.

If you have a camera or camera on your phone, take photos of the damage. If you have an iPhone or BlackBerry, you can use certain applications that help with the claims process. You can upload your photos directly into these programs to add to your claim.

Step 2: Exchange Information

There is no need to take blame or put the blame on the other driver. Simply exchange insurance information with the other driver, including:

• Your name
• Your insurance company, phone number and policy number
• Your phone number
• Make, model and license number of your car

If the other party doesn’t want to file the claim with his insurance and tries to offer you money to not file a claim, warning flags should go up. Insist that you want to file a claim and ask again for his insurance information. He may not have insurance or may want to keep from making his policy rate go up. You are entitled by law to file a claim during a car accident, so don’t let yourself be bullied.

Step 3: Contact Your Auto Owners Insurance Company

If the accident was minor and you can drive your car home, do so and then call your insurance company’s customer service claims processing number. Your auto owners insurance company may also give you the option of filing your claim online.

If the damage is great, you will need to contact your insurance company at the scene of the accident so your insurer can refer you to a tow company that will take your damaged vehicle to an approved repair facility.

The customer service representative will ask you a few questions about the accident, so try to clear your head so you can explain the situation. Once the rep gets the information she needs, she will give you a claim number and explain what the process is to get your car repaired.

Step 4: Get Your Car Repaired and Get On with Your Life

Your insurance company will pay for your car to be repaired in one of two ways:

• The company will issue a check to you to cover the estimated damage
• The company will directly pay the approved repair facility for the repairs

Either way, your insurance company will help make the process of getting your car back in good condition easy. If you need a rental car and have rental car reimbursement, your insurance company will pay for you to use a rental car while your vehicle is being repaired.

If your car was totaled, you will receive a check for the value of the car. You can use this toward the cost of buying a new or used car.

Posted: January 16, 2010