If you’ve ever been involved in an accident, either as a driver or passenger, the sheer thought of the paperwork required through your insurance company is enough to send anyone into a fit of anger. To make this easier, here are some step by step tips to filing a car accident claim.
1. Call the police
As soon as you’ve had an accident, it’s important to call the police. If you’re unable to do this yourself, one of your passengers should have the ability to call the police for you. They’ll document what happened, give a brief statement and take pictures of any damage incurred by either party.
2. Take pictures and document everything
Because they will not be at the scene when they arrive, we know that in most cases police officers won’t be able to see every detail and in some cases might misinterpret what has happened in their report or notes. To avoid any discrepancies, it’s important that you send in photos and documentation with your insurance claim so nothing is missed out when trying to reach a settlement regarding damages suffered on both cars involved in the accident.
3. Contact a personal injury lawyer
Taking this to a personal injury claim is something that you should also consider immediately. If you have been involved in a car accident in San Antonio, having an attorney on your side could help in reaching a settlement sooner rather than later, so you don’t have to worry about being stuck with car repairs for extended periods of time. This type of lawyer can help you get compensated for the accident, making your recovery easier.
4. Contact your insurance company
Whether you’re insured through a company or if you’re still learning how to drive, you’ll need to inform your insurer about what has happened immediately because they’ll usually cover any medical expenses required by passengers and will need to know about the damage done to both vehicles in order to reach a settlement. They will be able to guide you on the correct steps to follow so that you can receive the best care possible for anyone injured in the accident. If a claim is disputed, it could mean having no car until all issues have been resolved, so your insurer must know exactly what’s going on when it occurs.
5. Don’t sign anything
Once you’ve spoken to the people involved and taken any necessary photos or documentation, it’s important that you don’t sign anything until speaking with a lawyer. Whether you’re signing something put in front of you by your insurance company, fixing companies, or even if they’re just asking to take a look at the damage done to your car, do not sign anything unless it’s something that will benefit your claim and will help compensate for damages somehow. It’s important that you don’t settle with anyone until this process is completed because things could change in terms of who owes who compensation during this period, so bringing everything into one place at the end makes sure everyone knows what each party is entitled to without any confusion occurring before then.
6. Keep records of conversations and correspondence
Keep track of all conversations and correspondences made either through email or over the telephone as this is going to be useful when taking further action against anyone who may have been negligent during the accident whether this was another driver on the road, a passenger, or even your insurer. Make sure you know what to do after an incident as this occurs.
7. File the claim properly
Once you’ve gathered all the necessary documentation, photos and spoken to either your lawyer or an insurance advisor about what has happened, it’s time to file the report with your insurance company. Once they receive this it will start legal proceedings through their lawyers which means you’ll have less paperwork to do yourself as most of it will be handled by them.
Why should you file a car accident claim?
It is very important that you file a car accident claim as soon as possible after the damage has been done. Not only do you need to file a claim for any medical expenses that might have occurred, but it also helps with potential legal proceedings against the person who was at fault for your accident. Once they receive this evidence there is no running away from what has happened and everything will be covered by the insurance company either through their limits or if those limits are exceeded, then financial compensation can occur once all the damages have been documented fully.
Although everything you can do to protect yourself following a car accident is important, the best thing that you can do for your health and financial stability is to file a claim as soon as possible. By doing this, you are protecting yourself against further damage being caused, and you are in the protection of your further health.
