May 6, 2008
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Submitting a car insurance claim can be a very stressful experience. You’ve probably just been in an accident, which is stressful enough, and now you are worrying about getting everything right so that your claim is approved and you can get back to your normal life. While nothing can make the stress of a claim disappear entirely, insurance companies, especially those offering cheap auto insurance, have made this a much smoother and easier process than it used to be.
Of course, the first thing to do is make sure everyone is safe, and if any medical attention is needed, that this is taken care of immediately. Then, take a few minutes to breathe deeply and put things in perspective. You are alive, the professionals are on their way, and this is a manageable. Because this is a difficult time, it will help to have a list of things to do in your wallet, purse, or glove compartment.
* Get information about every car that stops at the scene of the incident. That includes make, model and license plate. Even if they weren’t involved in the accident, get this information; they could be valuable witnesses.
* Get information from each driver involved in the accident, including their name, address, phone number, and the information from their insurance card. This includes the insurance company, their policy number, the dates that the policy is valid, and any other details listed on the card.
* Ask any witness to the event to give you their name, address, and phone number. Also, try to get a brief account from each of them. These can be very helpful later on when the insurance company assembles their account of what happened.
* Write down your own account of the accident, in as much detail as possible. Start with the date, time and location. State which lane you were in, whether the traffic was light or heavy, whether there was any construction, blinding sunlight, and so on. Then list exactly what you were doing right before, during, and after the accident. Put down any details of the appearance and actions of the cars around you.
* It is helpful to have photographs of the vehicles and the scene. You can use a cell phone camera for this, or, if you don’t have one, keep a disposable camera in your car. Take pictures of anything that might be relevant; if you’re not sure, go ahead and get a picture.
* You should talk to your insurance company as soon as possible after the accident. They will ask you a lot of questions, but their process is very efficient and based on thousands of accident reports, so all you have to do is answer carefully and completely.
* The police may be called to the scene; if they are, they will file an accident report, and will probably ask you their own set of questions. Again, answer accurately and thoroughly. Make sure you get a copy of their report, and have a copy sent to your insurance company as well.
After the accident, it will probably take some weeks before the claim is fully settled. During this time, it is important to check in with your insurance company, to make sure they have all the information they need and that the process is proceeding normally. If they contact you, reply as soon as you can, so that the process isn’t delayed. Finally, once the claim is completely settled, talk to your agent about any changes to your insurance.
There’s no way to completely alleviate the stress of being in an accident, but you can make the process easier if you stay calm and make sure to get all the information and follow all the steps. Take care to get it right, and you’ll find your claim process is much faster and easier.
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