Car accidents happen daily and when you think you’ll never be apart of one, you better think again.  Whether you’ve been in one before or you’ve never been in one, it’s important to know how to take care of an auto insurance claim properly, so that you can avoid lawsuits and missed out payments.  Before we even start, I’d recommend that you print this out and keep it in you glove box just for reference purposes.

Step 1 – Before an accident even happens, let’s make sure we know what our insurance policy is.  Do you know what’s covered and what’s not?  Make sure you know your liabilities, how much the insurance company will pay, etc.  If you’re unsure, call up your insurance company and ask questions, they will always be more than willing to help you out.

Step 2 – When an accident occurs, make sure that everyone is alright.  Try and keep your cool because it’s an “accident”.  Causing a scene will only make things a lot worse.  If anyone has the slightest pains, make sure you record it because the insurance companies can potentially pay your medical bills.

Step 3 - The next step you’re going to want to take is to grab as much information as possible.  You’re going to want to grab the victim’s telephone number, address, license plate number, and also grab their insurer’s name and number.  Always ask for an ID because you can’t trust their word, they could give you fake information and run.

Step 4 – If there are any witnesses around and they stuck around, make sure you grab their name and number, this can help the process run a little smoother. 

Step 5 – Most cell phones today have cameras built into them, if you have a camera around, take a picture of the scene before you move the cars or do anything.  Pictures speak a million words and this can help down the long road.  It also never hurts to take a picture of the victims and witnesses.  You may feel silly but it will help you avoid unwanted fees, trust me.

Step 6 – After the accident occurs, you’re going to want to contact the local police department.  If there’s no police nearby, the operator will generally guide you on how you report your claim.  Depending on the accident and how severe it is, you may just have to drive to the station.  This is where pictures come in handy if the officer can’t make it on the scene.

Step 7 – When everything is set and done, make sure you call up your insurance company.  You’ll want to file a report with them as well.  After the report is made, you’ll most likely have to go to one of their shops so that an adjuster can inspect the damages.  This is when you’ll find out what’s covered and what’s not.

Getting in car accidents can be scary.  As long as you make sure everyone is ok and you follow the above steps, the process should go by fairly smoothly.  If you do by chance get into a small fender bender, etc, make sure you pull off to the side of the road if you’re on a busy street.  You won’t want to hold up traffic over a small tap on the bumper.

If you find you’re unhappy with your auto insurance company after a claim, try a finding a new carrier with better service and better rates.