Being in an accident can be an incredibly nerve-wracking event. Once you know that you and your loved ones are safe, it’s important to know what steps to take to ensure that your car is taken care of. Follow these steps below:
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If you get into an accident with another vehicle, make sure to exchange information with the other drive if they have it. This includes their name, contact information, insurance company, policy number, driver’s license number, and the make, model, and license plate number of their vehicle.
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If possible, document the scene. Take photographs of all the vehicle damage, the accident scene, road conditions, traffic signs, and any visible injuries. This helps support your position on what happened. As for the damage to your car, the insurance company will either send an adjustor out to document the damage or have you take your car to a body shop who will take photos of the damage.
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If you are at fault, notify your insurance company. If you are not at fault, file the insurance claim with the other driver’s insurance company so that the accident does not affect your insurance.
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You will then work with the claims adjuster. The claims adjuster will review the accident, the damage to your vehicle, and the available insurance coverage. You might need to provide additional documentation or vehicle inspection access.
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You will then need to obtain repair estimates. The body shop will inspect your car and total up all the damage. They will pass this information on to you so that you can send the cost of repairs to the insurance company. Once they approve the estimate, the body shop will proceed with the repairs.
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When the repairs have been completed, the insurance company will pay the body shop directly to cover the cost of repairs for your car. Once the bill has been paid and you are in possession of your car again, the claim will be marked as closed.
