November 3, 2008
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All car owners need car insurance. First, it is the law, and second, being properly insured can save you a lot of money in case of accident or theft. The main variable when it comes to insurance policies is finding a happy medium between how much you spend and how much coverage you want. Usually, the more you pay, the better the coverage. As expected, less expensive policies provide minimal coverage. Better (more pricey) coverage, on the other hand, offers not only more financial compensation, but usually has a more hassle-free claims process as well.
If you are unfortunate enough to experience having your car stolen or damaged in an accident, you need to submit an insurance claim in order to obtain compensation for damages, repairs and injuries to your own and possibly othersa property and person. In theory it is not difficult to submit a car insurance claim. If your car is involved in an accident or theft, you should report any damage or loss related to the accident or theft right away to your insurance agent or company.
A police report must be filed and on record when making any car insurance claim due to an accident or theft. The insurance company will require a copy of the police report along with your claim, especially when a car accident results in death or injury. Also required when you file your claim is accurate and detailed information such as time and place of an accident or theft plus names, contact information, license (driversa and auto) numbers and insurance policy numbers of anyone who is involved in or a witness to the incident in question.
The insurance company or the agent generally inquires about the loss, damage or accident. They give information about various forms to be filled and formalities to be complied with. The person filing the claim should give all the information about the event to the insurance agent or company. The claimant should inquire from his insurance agent about the existence of any fixed duration for submitting his claim.
An insurance policy with collision coverage is ideal, as you are entitled to compensation for damages from any sort of accident, including those with walls, other cars, or even trees. Your agent should let you know about repair estimates and where you should go to have repairs done. Remember to be assertive and not be intimidated by the agent, company, repair shops or the claims process. You have a right to ask for clarification for any details you want, for you are the customer and claimant, and in the end it is your money that is at stake.
The claimant should also ask the agent about the time within which the claim will be settled. He can ask for information like the policy of his insurance provider with regards to car rentals and does his policy cover it. He should obtain detailed information about what benefits he can avail through his insurance cover. The insurance company is bound to give true information to the claimant and it makes the task of the claimant easier.
A good and reputable insurance carrier will be direct and honest about policy details and will keep you informed of the progress in the processing of your claim. If you are fortunate enough to have a car insurance policy that is comprehensive, then you should not have to concern yourself with troublesome details such as out-of-pocket expenses, for damages will be taken care of by the insurance carrier, no matter who is at fault in an accident.
Submitting a car insurance claim is very easy if you have the necessary information. The best way of doing it is to talk with your insurance agent about what is needed and what is expected of you. Depending on the coverage of your policy you will get the compensation for your claim.
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