Filing Auto Insurance Claims: The Basic Steps to Take

An automobile accident can be a terrifying event for anyone, even when there are no injuries sustained. However, it is still necessary to take proper action after the collision to make filing auto insurance claims as simple as possible. Filing auto insurance claims may seem demanding at first glance, but following the correct steps can ensure success.

Be sure to carry your insurance card with you at all times for easy access. This card contains the type of coverage you have and how long it spans, your vehicle's make, model and identification number, and emergency and after hours phone numbers. Call your auto insurance agent to inform the company of the occurrence as soon as possible.

Most insurance companies request some form of documentation to support your claim. Writing down names and addresses of those involved or possible witnesses may aid when filing auto insurance claims. Noting specific details such as the weather, or visibility also may be of assistance. And of course, a copy of the police report is required, along with a proof of claim form provided by the insurance company.

Once all the information has been provided to the insurance company, and the claim form has been filled out, you can basically just sit and wait to see what develops. If there happens to be a dispute between the participants in the accident, you may receive a call from the other driver's insurance company inquiring about your version of the collision. Support your case. Document the conversation and make note of the insurance agent you spoke with.

Your case will be designated a claims adjuster, regardless of the car's condition. The car will be taken to a body shop, and the shop will evaluate damage done to the automobile. They will then send a report to the insurance company with an estimate for repairs. The insurance company will determine retail value after assessment of the report. If the repairs transcend 70 to 80 percent of the car's retail value, it is deemed totaled by the insurance company.

Timothy Gorman is a successful webmaster and publisher of Best-Free-Insurance-Quotes.com. He provides more insurance information and offers discount auto insurance, life and home insurance that you can research in your pajamas on his website.

MORE RESOURCES:

Concepta Insurance Consolidation Facility Receives DOJ Clearance - MarketWatch

Health insurance sticker shock hits consumers - Chicago Tribune

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-0fd=Rurl=http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/triage/2008/12/health-insuranc.htmlcid=1276133500ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNG1yDFyrSQC5IwMoRENeuFXGK9ncgHealth binsurance/b sticker shock hits consumers/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fChicago Tribune,nbsp;United Statesnbsp;-/font nobr10 hours ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Health binsurance/b sticker shock overcame Mickey Trznadel when he opened an envelope from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois earlier this year, b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-1fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Blue-Cross-Blue-Shield-Michigan/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B5379FA18-BBBE-4084-A40A-AB5CFFB0BDAD%257Dcid=1276133500ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNH4dYeLpR9KAI7L9hGW9vQBmqYwTQBlue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Answers Attorney General/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-2fd=Rurl=http://www.mlive.com/annarbornews/news/index.ssf/2008/12/blues_michigan_ag_continue_hea.htmlcid=1276133500ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNFgBppt7UVwiQTFogpOmJ44QnzcmgBlues, Michigan AG continue health binsurance/b fight/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMLive.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-3fd=Rurl=http://www.mlive.com/kzgazette/news/index.ssf/2008/12/blue_cross_blue_shield_of_mich.htmlcid=1276133500ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNF1zenK9uSmzUeYIy2JGrU81II24gBlue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan continues push for health b.../b/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrKalamazoo Gazette - MLive.com/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-4fd=Rurl=http://www.freep.com/article/20081201/FEATURES08/81201068cid=1276133500ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNF_whJa2FxkOX2oEe1SlH6nSSKREgnobrDetroit Free Press/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/1-5fd=Rurl=http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20081201/FREE/812010270/-1cid=1276133500ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNEX76V4HfvM-RKmJau8-L1Pw_E0hgnobrCrain's Detroit Business/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276133500hl=ennobrall 23 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Morning Rounds Rising Stress Levels, Limited Health Insurance and ... - New York Times

Premiums for workers#39; comp insurance to rise 3% - Seattle Times

Drivers without insurance will have their vehicles towed after Jan. 1 - Dallas Morning News

Prudential PLC eyes AIG#39;s Taiwanese life insurance unit - MarketWatch

RAM Holdings Announces Commutation of $10.6 Billion Par MBIA ... - MarketWatch

Fabian Nunez Joins Zenith#39;s Board of Directors - MarketWatch

State issues finding in Holyoke Medical Center insurance dealings - The Republican - MassLive.com

Fairfax to buy rest of Northbridge for C$686 mln - Reuters

table border=0 width= valign=top cellpadding=2 cellspacing=7trtd valign=top class=jfont style=font-size:85%;font-family:arial,sans-serifbrdiv style=padding-top:0.8em;img alt= height=1 width=1/divdiv class=lha href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-0fd=Rurl=http://www.reuters.com/article/mnaNewsFinancialServicesAndRealEstate/idUSN0150299520081201cid=1276516603ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNHkMNAx4Nq6_rl_uMYOHJ6QfkZW4wFairfax to buy rest of Northbridge for C$686 mln/abrfont size=-1font color=#6f6f6fReutersnbsp;-/font nobr34 minutes ago/nobr/fontbrfont size=-1Fairfax said it expected Northbridge President and Chief Executive Mark Ram to remain in charge of the Canadian binsurance/b operations. b.../b/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-1fd=Rurl=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/Northbridge-Fairfax-Announce-Privatization-Offer/story.aspx%3Fguid%3D%257B0A513448-3272-4E3F-8D0C-251C2F23FFA7%257Dcid=1276516603ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNHxk8_vwXi9RdI6pjgbsKmSz8K_VgNorthbridge and Fairfax Announce Privatization Offer/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrMarketWatch/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-2fd=Rurl=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news%3Fpid%3D20601082%26sid%3DacOweNniPPE4%26refer%3Dcanadacid=1276516603ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNG8OBOIDBRPFdOHNBoVMbhB4DLvugCanada Stocks Decline, Led by EnCana Corp., Financial Shares/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrBloomberg/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-3fd=Rurl=http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081201.wfairfax1201/BNStory/Business/home%3Fcid%3Dal_gam_mostemailcid=1276516603ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNFJXUdwb64GTgd9R3v5RD3zhylETAFairfax to take Northbridge private/a font size=-1 color=#6f6f6fnobrGlobe and Mail/nobr/font/fontbrfont size=-1 class=pa href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-4fd=Rurl=http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%2520News/2058427/cid=1276516603ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNHqm_fTMLPc5z9H2oyjdyUkA-wUTAnobrTrading Markets (press release)/nobr/anbsp;- a href=http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=Tct=us/9-5fd=Rurl=http://www.680news.com/news/business/more.jsp%3Fcontent%3Db1201167Acid=1276516603ei=oss0SZq8LKDM8AT0oqWCBAusg=AFQjCNHQbQawIoqTNnSXEq-8zIheINdm3Anobr680 News/nobr/a/fontbr/font class=p size=-1a class=p href=http://news.google.com/news?sourceid=navclientie=ISO-8859-1rls=GGLG,GGLG:2005-22,GGLG:enncl=1276516603hl=ennobrall 62 news articles/nobr/a/font/div/font/td/tr/table

Insurance - Google News

RELATED ARTICLES

Disaster Decision - Do You Need Insurance?
The expenses involved with owning a home can be overwhelming at times - routine maintenance, repairs, seasonal preparations, improvements. Not to mention taxes, fees, and all those monthly bills.

Compare Car Insurance Companies Before You Commit
If you want to save money on your car insurance, compare insurance companies before you sign up for an annual premium. Car insurance premiums can differ as much as 300% between carriers for the same coverage.

Keys To Controlling The Future of Health Care
Several key changes are necessary to get control of the costs associated with the run away health care system in the United States.Here are just a few suggestions:1) Cost information about medical procedures and cost comparisons to alternative treatments need to be more easily available so that consumers can make better educated health care choices.

Can I Really Get Life Insurance, No Exam Required?
Changing the way that life insurance is bought and sold on the Internet and through the media has opened up the doors for many people to have affordable life insurance policies. Life insurance no exam is one such brainstorm.

Types of Homeowner Insurance
There are 6 different types of homeowners insurance in general that are consistently utilized. Of these HO-3 is the most usual policy then it is followed by HO-4 and HO-6.

I Was In An Accident, Will My Car Insurance Rates Go Up?
You were on the phone, got distracted and before you knew it traffic had stopped, giving you no room to stop and you rear end the girl in front of you. Or, let's say you're driving along and a deer jumps out and rams into the side of your door.

Independent Insurance Agents Unite! Insurance and Financial Discussion Forums are all the Rage
The online discussion forum has emerged as the medium of choice for many Americans. Most recently, forum platforms like vBulletin, Infopop, and Snitz have enabled the novice webmaster to host and moderate their own forum.

Why Boat Insurance Is A Necessity
Boat insurance is necessary for all boat owners who live on or really value their boats. If it is something that you feel you must replace then you need to insure it.

Filing Homeowners Insurance Claim Forms: What Steps to Take
Filing a homeowners insurance claim can be done with ease if the proper procedures are followed correctly. Periodically reviewing your insurance policy and keeping up to date with what your duties and responsibilities for your specific plan are will assist tremendously when filing a homeowners insurance claim.

What Type of Doctor Should I See Under My HSA?
You can withdraw money from your Health Savings Account (HSA) to visit an MD, DO or a chiropractor.Since you will be writing a check or using your debit card to pay for these visits at the time of service, you will really notice how much it costs.

Cure The Insurance Blues By Lowering The Cost of Your Premiums
Does the current amount that you pay on your insurance premiums keep you awake at night? If so you're not alone. In today's fast paced society many people are looking for ways to save money unfortunately this can lead to scrimping and watching where you spend every penny you make.

The Awful Truth about Annuity and Insurance Leads
You see the websites, you see the ads: exclusive, never before sold, prospects eager to buy, insurance and annuity Leads. Some leads cost a few dollars - others are over one-hundred a pop.

Filing An Insurance Claim
Everything seemed pretty simple when you purchased that insurance policy. If you have a loss, just tell the insurance company about it and you will get paid - Right? Well.

The Life Insurance Policy and What You Need to Know Before You Buy
Are you looking to buy a life insurance policy? Well, be careful. Life insurance can be difficult to understand and it's easy to be conned into buying something under false pretenses.

Useful Tips on Reducing Insurance Costs
Most people want lower insurance costs but are often too lazy to do anything about it. All it takes is a little time and effort and you could be looking at a reduced insurance premium.

Six Crucial Insurance Claim Possibilities
There are DOZENS of insurance claim possibilities which will increase the dollars awarded you in the settlement of your personal injury insurance claim. Some of them rarely see the light of day but some do.

Flat Insurance in the UK
What are the factors involved in flat insurance? Do I need to provide both buildings and contents cover? Who will cover shared flats or flats with student tenants?The responsibility to insure the building fabric of a flat lies with the freeholder. This means that if you own your flat on a leasehold basis then you only need to insure the contents.

Discount Car Insurance Brokers - Get Amazing Comparisons
To get the cheapest possible quote for your car insurance, your best bet is an online discount car insurance broker. A broker does not deal with one specific car insurance company, but rather searches through every available company to find you the best possible quote.

Student Health Insurance - Is It Necessary?
As a young, healthy college student, it might be tempting to forgo the expense of health insurance. After all, you're young, you're careful and you're not sick.

How Will an HSA Save Me Money?
The Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tool to help you save money on health insurance. But how does it do that?A Health Savings Account (HSA) is just a savings account.