2 Comments

1. sltydgx says:

   June 5, 2010 at 6:47 am

   call your companys adjuster … he will take you through the process
2. machrisr2000 says:

   June 5, 2010 at 6:47 am

   1. Report the claim to insurer of both drivers
   2. Claims reps investigate. Determine liability (who’s at fault)
   3. Determine damages–can car be fixed? How much will it cost? Is a rental vehicle owed? if car can’t be fixed what is its market value? etc…
   4. was anybody injured? What exactly are the injuries? Was the accident severe enough to cause injuries in the first place? What is the medical treatment? Was the treatment reasonable?

   Now for info you can use. Call your adjuster. Know your claim number when you do. If not, get the claim number and have it ready every time you call. If fault isn’t determined or your car not yet fixed, call the adjuster perhaps every three days.

   You have the right to:
   1. Have a rental vehicle provided by the other party’s insurer if the other party was at fault.
   2. Choose your own shop (however, often the insurer will guarantee the work of shops they recommend–it’s a fable that insurane companies try to steer you to crappy cheaper shops–they are mostly interested in shops who are not out to cheat them.)

   For Liability (fault): Unless you are sure you are at fault, be prepared to give a very detailed description of what happened, including things like were headlights on, turn signals, brake lights, how far away from other car did you first see them, what did you do to avoid the accident, were there any witnesses THAT YOU CAN IDENTIFY (you would be surprised how many times people claim there were “lots of witnesses but none of them stopped”. The whole idea about witnesses is that they are independent and can give testimony about what happened).

   For damages: Know the make and model of your car, as well as any accessories. Take it to a body shop you can trust (by the way, AVOID body shops that advertise in a confrontational “anti-insurance company” style–these are often crooked and are never trusted by the insurance adjusters. Why pick a fight when all you want is your car fixed?)

   If you are injured, see a MEDICAL DOCTOR first, not a chiropractor. You can see a chiro after the doctor, but people who run straight to the chiro are often those trying to exaggerate their injury, and it looks suspicious. if someon is truly injured, they see an MD and only then go for treatment from lesser experts such as chiropractors, physical therapists, accupuncturists.