Car accidents are disruptive, not only do you lose your main mode of transport, but there’s financial stress too. Especially when you find out that you’ve done all the right things, gotten all the evidence you needed and made sure everyone’s safe, but there’s a process that has to happen before things can go back to normal.
To help you understand why the process takes so long, here’s everything that happens in a typical car insurance claim.
Step One: Safety Matters
The first thing you need to do after an accident occurs is to make sure that your passengers, the people in the other car, and you are okay. Make sure you’re in a safe space and pulled over with the hazard lights on if possible.
Step Two: Calling The Authorities
While you’re still at the accident site, you should call emergency services and make sure a police report is filed. The authorities will get all the information you need on hand when you file an insurance claim.
Step Three: Evidence Matters
After you’ve contacted the authorities, it’s smart to exchange policy numbers and insurance company info with everyone involved. Now it’s a good idea to take as many photos as you can, and from many angles as well as video if it’s safe to do so. Also, write down everything you can remember about what happened and who was involved.
Step Four: Review Your Policy
Consider this additional step as a way to remain present about your coverage. This is when you review your insurance claim to make sure it hasn’t lapsed and you’re ready to start the claim. It’s better to know upfront if there are any issues with the insurance so you don’t have to deal with any nasty surprises.
Step Five: File a Claim
Now you jump on the phone with car insurance in Saratoga Springs, NY. When you go to file a car insurance claim, you’ll be working with your insurance team by answering their questions and providing as much information as possible, and this is where all the evidence you’ve got such as photos, notes, and police reports come in handy.
Step Six: Wait (Patiently)
This aspect of the whole process is the most irritating. It’s when you wait. While you’re waiting, the insurance team is investigating and assessing the damage to your vehicle. Here is also when you will be asked to choose the auto shop for the repairs, so it’s great to ask around for a recommendation. Once you’ve got a shop you like, the insurance company completes a repair estimate, and this can take a few days as well.
Step Seven: The Payout
Hopefully, by now, the insurance company has done all their due diligence, they will pay the amount of the repair estimate, minus your deductible, to either you, your insurance agent or the shop with your permission. This process can take a few days for the money to appear in your account or go where it needs to go.
Step Eight: Pay Your Deductible
This is where you pay for your deductible once the repairs are completed, even if you weren’t at fault. If you were at fault, this would be out of pocket, but if you aren’t at fault the longest part of the claims process might actually be waiting for your insurer to confirm that you’re not at fault. This can take months all the way to years. Many insurance companies will pay you back first, and then they will collect back what they paid from the insurance of the at-fault driver.
Make Life Easier for Yourself
Most insurance companies unfortunately will make life deliberately hard for you in an effort to dissuade you from making a claim. This can make the overall claims process more stressful than it ever needed to be. So, with this in mind, you will want an insurance agent who can help make the process as smooth as possible.
When there’s an insurance agent that works for you, they deal with the claim, all the talking to the insurance company, and the constant phone calls to see how things are going on your behalf. So you can spend more time adjusting to your life without your usual method of transport and focus on everything that isn’t filing an insurance claim.
One such insurance agency that can help is NY Insurance Hub, with their expert team and great track record, they’re a trusted partner in getting you back on the road sooner. https://nyinsurancehub.com/
NY Insurance Hub Agency
125 Wolf Rd STE 404 Albany,
NY 12205 518-783-0105
GMB URL: https://g.page/r/CSpwJcUJX29hEBA
