Empire Fleet Solutions

Due to the many vehicles on our roads these days, you are bound to be involved in an accident at some time or another and thus be forced to make a vehicle insurance claim.  However, you do not have to worry too much as a vehicle insurance claim is a fairly simple process.  You make a vehicle insurance claim, the adjuster comes out to estimate the cost to repair the damage, the insurance company sends you a check for that amount and you use it to pay for the repairs.  Every vehicle insurance claim requires some kind of proof of damage before the insurance company will pay out the necessary amount.  There are usually five elements of proof that will come into play when making a vehicle insurance claim, which include what you tell the insurance company, what the other party tells them, a police report, witnesses, and physical damage at the accident scene.

Steps involved to make a Vehicle Insurance Claim

• Step 1

Summon the emergency services, as medical attention will in all likelihood be needed.  Be sure to phone the police as well, as the police report is crucial for the vehicle insurance claim.

• Step 2

Exchange contact information, insurance information, and license plate numbers with the other party involved.  All the above is necessary to make a vehicle insurance claim.

• Step 3

Be on the lookout for witnesses who are willing to share their account of events.  Also take their contact information, as they could play a crucial role in your vehicle insurance claim.

• Step 4

Contact your insurance company as soon as possible.  Most have 24-hour claim-filing service by phone.  The individual taking your claim will assist you with the process of vehicle insurance claim.

• Step 5

If the other party is at fault, you should inform the other party’s insurance company that you are pursuing a vehicle insurance claim through your own insurance company and will seek reimbursement for those costs your insurance company will not pay.

• Step 6

At some or other time you will receive a phone call from the other insurance company asking you to tell them your version of events which led to the accident.  Prepare for this beforehand.  This is done in order for the vehicle insurance claim to be processed successfully.

• Step 7

The adjuster will come out to take a look at the damage to your vehicle and subsequently estimates how much it will cost to restore or replace.  The insurance company will then hand you a check in the amount of the repair.  Your vehicle insurance claim is now close to being settled.

• Step 8

If a dispute arises because you think your insurance company’s damage settlement offer for your vehicle insurance claim is too low, you may demand a form of arbitration to resolve the dispute.  The same applies when a dispute over damage settlement arises with the other party’s insurance company.