What Not to Do in Filing a Claim

When you get into an accident, you’re stressed, nervous and maybe in pain. You’re not thinking clearly. Many people make the mistake of saying too much or taking blame right away, and this can cause problems when you try to get your auto insurance company to pay for the damages. Here is a list of what not to do when filing an auto insurance claim.

1. Don’t apologize. Even though it seems like the polite thing to do, apologizing is like taking the blame. Let a professional police officer make the determination as to whose fault the accident was. If you don’t, you could unnecessarily be paying for the other driver’s expenses, and your insurance could go up.

2. Don’t write it off. If it seems like “just a scratch,” don’t be so quick to dismiss the accident. Walk around your car completely and assess damages. If you think there might be damage internally to your car or below the car (like the wheel base), get it looked at by a mechanic. If you don’t you could have serious car issues later and have to pay out of pocket since you didn’t file the claim properly.

3. Don’t be swayed to handle it “off the books.” Some drivers don’t want an accident on their records, so they try to convince you to let them pay for expenses directly. Don’t let them. You have no guarantee that they’ll come through on this, and if they don’t have car insurance, it can be a serious issue that you don’t want to be responsible for.

4. Don’t put it off. By waiting on filing your car insurance claim, you make the process harder. File your claim as soon as possible. From the accident scene, if possible. The sooner you file it, the sooner your car will be repaired and you can be reimbursed for expenses.