How to Settle an Insurance Case on an Auto Accident
You incur many expenses when you are involved in an auto accident. The insurance companies may be responsible for reimbursing you for those expenses. After the accident, be sure to contact your insurance company and the insurance company of the other driver(s) involved to ensure that you are compensated.
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Instructions
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Call the police as soon as possible after the accident occurs in order to get a police report that provides details of the accident. This will be a valuable tool for the insurance companies to use to determine liability. Your insurance policy may require that you contact the police following an accident.
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Take photographs at the scene of the accident of the cars involved if it is safe to do so. Those photographs could be valuable evidence, particularly if your case goes to court. Those photographs may be used as exhibits at the trial to show what happened.
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Report the accident to your insurance company within the time frame required by your policy. This will notify the company that you will be making a claim and it should get in touch with the other insurance company involved.
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Keep records of all bills that you incur as a result of the accident. These include car repairs, a rental car, if you needed one, medical bills, prescriptions and such medical supplies as heating pads and over the counter medications. You will need to prove to the insurance company what your out-of-pocket expenses were and and that your claim amounts are accurate.
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Send a letter to your insurance company demanding reimbursement once you have a good idea of what your out-of-pocket expenses are. This letter should outline the expenses that you incurred as a result of the accident and demand a sum to compensate you. Name a figure that is greater than your expenses and will also compensate you for pain and suffering. The insurance company is likely to offer you something lower than what you name in your demand letter.
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Resond to the insurance company once it makes an offer. You have three options. You can accept the offer if you believe it is fair, you can counteroffer and ask the company for more than it offered, but less than your original demand, or you can take the matter to court. Whether you accept the insurance company's offer will depend on whether you believe it was fair and whether you are able to wait for the money.
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