No one wants to be in a traffic accident, but they happen all the time. If your vehicle is no longer in drivable condition, you’ll need to look at alternatives to get around. This can take time while you wait for the investigation to be completed. It is a tedious process.
Alerting Your Insurance
As soon as the accident occurs, call your insurance company. They will need to know whether you are making a claim or not. You should also collect:
Photos of the scene to use for evidence later
Insurance details from the other party
Contact information from the other drivers involved
Contact information of any witnesses
This will all help you if you do need to make a claim.
Making an Insurance Claim
If you do decide you should make a claim, you’ll have to fill out a form that is required, with all the information collected at the scene. You may also have uninsured losses, which are not covered by your policy, but may be claimed from the other driver’s insurance company.
Be sure to keep evidence of any losses that you incur. For example:
Car rental: You will need to replace your vehicle at least temporarily while yours is being repaired or investigated. It’s best to keep this similar to the vehicle you were using for the accident.
Alternative transport: If you choose to take taxis or other forms of transport while waiting for your vehicle, this can be counted as a loss, too.
Loss of earnings: Are you missing work due to injuries or damage to your vehicle? This may also count as an uninsured loss.
Talk to the insurance company to determine just what is at stake and how you can best handle the situation. They will let you know what is covered and what you should avoid doing. They will also determine where you can repair your vehicle or if they decide the car is not worth repairing, they should provide market value for the vehicle.
Making the Process Easier
All of these steps can take weeks or months to complete. It is a long, painstaking process and you will find it even more difficult if you sustained injuries in the accident. However, there are steps you can take to make things a little simpler for you.
The simplest option is to work with a claims management service. They’ll manage everything for you, including notification of loss, vehicle repairs and even uninsured loss recovery. They handle it all and you can rest and heal.
If you’re looking for a good claims management company that can also provide you with a replacement vehicle charged to the other party or insurance company, contact Chief Rentals. We provide complete services to help you recover from an accident.
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