What to Expect (and what not to) Immediately Following an Auto Insurance Claim
Any traffic accident or unexpected loss to your vehicle can be a stressful experience. But, knowing what to expect in case you or your vehicle are involved in an accident can help manage that stress. Insurance exists to protect you and your property when negligence on your part, or on someone else's part causes a loss, or accident.
The insurance coverage that you have may or may not live up to your expectations. Let's look at what an auto insurance company usually does for their customers after a loss, and what expectations you may have that are not part of a typical settlement.
First, you should expect prompt, friendly service. Insurance companies know that the longer they let a claim drag on, the more money they will end up paying to resolve that claim. You should expect good communication from your representative and adjusters. Once you have filled them in with the needed information, they should explain the companies processes, give a reasonable time frame for completion of tasks, and make sure they have answered all your questions.
What you should not expect is side-of-the road service, especially after hours or on weekends. Even the large national companies cannot get you a rental car if the rental stores are closed for the night. If your car is towed away after an accident, it may not be possible for an insurance adjuster to return your calls fast enough to get you a rental car immediately. Furthermore, there may be coverage or liability issues that prevent any immediate payments to be made by the company to you. Be especially careful if you are not filing the claim with your own insurance company, as you can reasonably expect the other driver's carrier to check with their customer and take statements before they will agree that they owe for a loss.
Be prepared: realize that when driving on the roads you are taking a risk. You may have an accident and be forced to pay your deductible, to pay out of pocket on a rental car, or for medical treatment as the insurance company completes their investigation, or the police report is getting prepared. Remember this particularly if you do not have full coverage on your own vehicle, and are in an accident with another person whom you believe to be at fault. In this case, you are totally reliant on another person's insurance to help you, so try to get all the information you can from them before the police arrive, or it might be days before you get their coverage information via the report. These days, police generally do not allow communication between victims, and when asked, they will almost always advise you to wait on the report.
In short, be prepared to take care of yourself, at least for a short period of time. Make sure you have a back up policy of your own; be as ready as possible financially (deductible in savings account) and strategically (family member or trusted friend to call) for a loss that puts you on foot.
The insurance coverage that you have may or may not live up to your expectations. Let's look at what an auto insurance company usually does for their customers after a loss, and what expectations you may have that are not part of a typical settlement.
First, you should expect prompt, friendly service. Insurance companies know that the longer they let a claim drag on, the more money they will end up paying to resolve that claim. You should expect good communication from your representative and adjusters. Once you have filled them in with the needed information, they should explain the companies processes, give a reasonable time frame for completion of tasks, and make sure they have answered all your questions.
What you should not expect is side-of-the road service, especially after hours or on weekends. Even the large national companies cannot get you a rental car if the rental stores are closed for the night. If your car is towed away after an accident, it may not be possible for an insurance adjuster to return your calls fast enough to get you a rental car immediately. Furthermore, there may be coverage or liability issues that prevent any immediate payments to be made by the company to you. Be especially careful if you are not filing the claim with your own insurance company, as you can reasonably expect the other driver's carrier to check with their customer and take statements before they will agree that they owe for a loss.
Be prepared: realize that when driving on the roads you are taking a risk. You may have an accident and be forced to pay your deductible, to pay out of pocket on a rental car, or for medical treatment as the insurance company completes their investigation, or the police report is getting prepared. Remember this particularly if you do not have full coverage on your own vehicle, and are in an accident with another person whom you believe to be at fault. In this case, you are totally reliant on another person's insurance to help you, so try to get all the information you can from them before the police arrive, or it might be days before you get their coverage information via the report. These days, police generally do not allow communication between victims, and when asked, they will almost always advise you to wait on the report.
In short, be prepared to take care of yourself, at least for a short period of time. Make sure you have a back up policy of your own; be as ready as possible financially (deductible in savings account) and strategically (family member or trusted friend to call) for a loss that puts you on foot.