The Low Down on Auto Claims
If you have ever been in a car accident, you know they can be traumatic. Even if no one is hurt and the damage is minimal, you can feel very shaky. If there are injuries and/or damage, it becomes even scarier. While feeling very shaky and uncertain, you immediately have to deal with the aftermath of the accident. What damage is there to your car? How about the other person's car? Are there injuries? Should you call the police? Should you call for an Ambulance? Should you file a claim?
Is your carrier trying to trick you?
I came across an article not too long ago that gave three "Tricks" they claim Insurance carriers use to keep from having to pay out on claims.1. Creating a sense of urgency in your car accident
2. Getting you to make statements admitting fault in the accident
3. Using your own Social Media against you.
I don't believe carriers use these as "tricks", but they can be real issues if you are not careful. I do address below how to avoid these coming back to bite you later.
We are an independent insurance agency. We are not licensed for Claims, so I am not an expert on how each claim will work. (Disclaimer!) But we have worked with clients and adjusters during the claims process for many years. I am not much of a conspiracy theorist; I don't believe adjusters are taught to make sure the carriers pay out as little as possible. I am a realist though, and insurance carriers are not in this business out of the goodness of their hearts. They do need to make money and this means they will scrutinize each claim since this is the bulk of where they lose profit.
You pay for insurance so that the carrier will "make you whole" in the event of a covered loss. It is up to the carrier to decide if a claim is a covered loss, or how much of the liability lies with the insured. This is done through adjusters. We have been in insurance for several years now and I have come across some great adjusters and I have dealt with some I would love to drop kick off of a bridge. Much like any industry, you will deal with competent and incompetent people during this process.
This is why you need to take some basic steps to protect yourself during a claim.
Immediately following the accident
* Are you and your passengers alright? (If not, NOTHING else matters- call 911!)
* Once you have made sure you and your party is safe, pull over out of traffic and check on the other party.* If no one is in need of medical attention, look at the damage to the cars.
* Take photos of the damage to all involved cars!
* Exchange insurance and contact information. (regardless of who you think is at fault)
* Call the police to make sure a police report is filed. You will be thankful for this later.
* Do not admit fault unless you are absolutely positive you are at fault. If there is any question, do not tell the other party or the police it was your fault. This speaks to Trick #2 up above- You would be surprised how many people will record you or what witnesses will say. You were just in an accident. You get to be unsure of what you think happened.
(Spoiler - If you are intoxicated, this step will not help you!)
After the Accident
* If you know it was your fault, own it and call in the claim to your insurance carrier. You will need your policy number which can be found on your ID card.* If you believe the other party was at fault, call it into their carrier. (This is why you exchange insurance info!)
* Be prepared with a statement of what happened. You want to write this down so you can work out the details. Drawing a picture of what happened can be very helpful. Many carriers will ask you to do that anyway. Put as many details as possible into your account. *Do not call in the claim until you are calm enough to discuss the details (This speaks to Trick #1 up above) You don't have to call it in immediately. Call it in with a clear head. You will be surprised the things you say when you are confused and upset.
* If it is your fault, and there is a chance the damage is lower than your deductible, don't file the claim until you get an estimate of the damage. If it is below the deductible, it will not do any good for you to file the claim because it won't pay out and you will have a claim on your file. For questions about deductibles, read our earlier post explaining auto insurance.
* Once you call in the claim, the adjuster will contact all parties involved for statements. You will want to send in any photos you have taken and any witness statements you have as well.
* The adjuster will call you once this has been completed. They should contact you within 48 hours (barring weekends and holidays). If they do not, call them again.
* Do not go onto Social Media and tell everyone you just messed up. (This speaks to Trick #3 up above) Your words can be twisted especially if you are bragging/joking about jacking someone's car. You may think it is funny, but it can used against you, so BE SMART!
*If you disagree with the adjuster's assessment, you can appeal the claim decision. The process is different with every carrier, but you do have the right to appeal any decision.
*Once the claim decision is made, the claims adjuster will guide you through the auto assessment and repair process. You should be able to take your car to anyone you want. But if you use a body shop the carrier is associated with, it may go smoother. Some shops have an adjuster based in the shop which can make the process easier. (But who you use is up to you, not the carrier)
After the Claim
Please understand, an At Fault claim will cause your rates to increase, even if it is your first one. Not At Fault claims will not affect your rates as much, but if you have several, it will weigh on your history and can affect the rates. Claims can affect your rates for up to 5 years, depending on the carrier. This is not your agent's fault. It is just how the insurance industry works. Remember what I wrote up above? Claims are the #1 cause of profit losses in this industry. If there are higher than anticipated claims one year (think unplanned for Hurricanes and hail storms), rates will go up the next year. If you have a claim your rate will go up more than those without claims. But even if you don't have a claim, your rates can go up because the claims losses have to be paid for. The carriers will spread it over their entire customer base. They cannot raise rates however much they want. Insurance is highly regulated by the state. Rate increases have to be approved by the State (In our case, the Texas Department of Insurance).Here is where I put in a plug for using Independent Insurance Agencies. When rates go up, we have several different carriers to quote you in.
There are three ways to request a quote for your insurance needs:
* Call Brockman
Premier Insurance at 877-987-8683
