Promptness in reporting an accident is the first step to be taken in filing insurance claims. This is true for all car makes. Remember that claims have to be filed within the specified time limit set by the insurer. This can range between two days and two weeks from the incident but you should check the actual time window from the policy document.Â
Since the objective of filing claims is to ensure that it culminates in successful payouts, adequate preparation is necessary to substantiate the case by taking note of each and every detail that is relevant to the incident. But everything has to be completed within the specified time and in the most accurate manner so that once the claim is submitted, it moves forward without any hindrance. How you can proceed in filing claims has been discussed in this post.
Act responsibly after the accident
If you are involved in an accident, do not try to run away from the scene. Stay calm and move the car to a safe zone before you start assessing the nature of the accident, who else is involved in it, the extent of damages, whether any person has been injured, and other relevant details.Â
If there is any serious injury it should be reported to the police immediately. Keep away from admitting liability about the accident and do not pay any money to any other drivers as it can disqualify your claim. But if the other party or driver admits liability then do not forget to make note of it. Â
Gather all information
Collect all information related to the car, such as registration number, model and note it down. Exchange your name, address, contact details, and name of the insurer with the other party involved in the accident. Since all this information constitutes the main body of the claim, do not risk trying to remember it but note it down on a piece of paper.Â
Note the time and place (address) of the incident together with the weather conditions and try to reconstruct the events in sequence as it will help to explain the situation to others. Get the details of some independent witnesses also. Since it has now become easy to take photographs, make sure that you take some photographs of the incident from different angles including some close-up shots of the damages.
Report the incident
Since lodging claims might involve payment of excess on your part, it has to be carefully decided how much it would be worth to lodge the claim. But, whether you lodge a claim or not, report the accident to the insurer. If the accident amounts to unlawful behavior on part of others like drunk driving or speedy driving then the matter should be reported to the police to obtain a crime reference number.
Claim filing
Submit your claim by filling the claim form provided by the insurer. Some insurers also accept claims online. Make sure that all relevant information is provided in the claim form completed with photographs. The procedure is the same for all car makes.
Do not forget to keep copies of all documents and correspondences that are submitted.
