Getting the Most Out of Your Auto Insurance

Get In An Auto Accident? 3 Things You Should Know About Insurance Claims

31 March 2017

Eleanor Allen

When you are involved in an auto accident, you'll be thankful that you have insurance to help reimburse you for the damages that happened to your car and your body. Unfortunately, it's possible to make some mistakes along the way that can make it difficult for that to happen. Here are 3 things you should know about auto insurance claims to ensure yours goes through with ease.

Always Exchange Insurance Information

When you are involved in an accident where the other person is at fault, you may find that they try to get out of giving you their insurance information. They may offer to repair your car by giving you cash, try to claim that you were at fault, or even guilt you about their insurance rates going up. It is always a good idea to exchange information regarding your insurance.

If you do not exchange insurance information, several possible things could occur. The other driver may not live up to their promise of paying for the damages, or try to file another police report with a different version of the story to place the blame on you. If they won't give you their insurance information, get the license plate number of their car and include this in your police report.

Always Contact Your Insurance Provider Before Getting Repairs

Your instincts may be to get your car repairs quickly so that you can get your car back on the road, worrying about reimbursement later. The problem with this is that your auto insurance company may not cover all of the repairs. It Is possible that they have an existing agreement with certain auto shops that give them a reduced rate in exchange for referral work, causing you to pay the additional costs out of pocket. Working with an insurance agent about where to get your car repaired can avoid all these problems later on.

Always Go To Your Doctor If Injured

Auto accident related injuries are a cost that will be paid for by insurance, but only if the injury is directly related to the accident. If you were injured, be sure to visit a doctor immediately and have the injury diagnosed. It can help avoid any possible confusion with you trying to claim an injury happened due to the accident. If you don't go to the doctor, the other driver's insurance provider could claim that the injury happened elsewhere.

For more tips, speak with your insurance provider 

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