Auto Insurance Claim Guide - What You'll Need to File Your Claim

If there comes a time when you need to file a claim with your auto insurance company, you have to be sure to give them all of the necessary information so your claim can get paid right away. This article will fill you in on what you need when you go to file a claim. You must know who was involved in the accident. Once you are in an auto accident, it is your job to speak with all of the parties involved and take note of their names and contact information. Even if no one looks injured, you need to do this anyway, because there may be injuries present that are not visible at the time. Look around to see if there were any witnesses to the accident. You may feel like the other driver is at fault, while they may believe the same thing of you. Having a witness available can clear up the question of who is responsible. Do not try to persuade witnesses of anything, since that would be akin to filing a false claim. When an officer arrives at the scene, make sure to get all of his information. This will help the insurance company get a copy of the police report. They will need that in case there are any disputes. Write down what the make, year and model of each of the vehicles involved. Also write down the color. This is information that the insurance company will want to know. Ask the driver what year the car is in case you are not sure. Take note of how many passengers were in all of the vehicles involved. You should write down their names and contact information as well. This is important because one or more of them may file a claim later in the event that they were injured. Get photos of all of the vehicles involved. These days it is very common to own a cell phone with the capability to take photos. Take advantage of that and snap a few photos just in case there are some disputes later about the damages that actually resulted from the accident. If you have all of the proper paperwork and evidence when it is time to file an auto insurance claim, the likelihood of you being successful is greater. Have all of the information above ready before you even dial their number.