What You Should Know
- An auto insurance claim is a request for compensation from your insurance company
- You file auto insurance claims after collisions or other events that damage your vehicle and cause injuries
- You should make sure you have the right type of insurance coverage before you file an auto insurance claim
What is an auto insurance claim? In a nutshell, it’s a request for compensation from your insurance company following an accident, theft, vandalism, loss, and other vehicle-related events that cause financial hardship for you or others.
In return for paying your monthly insurance rates, your insurance company must help you cover repair costs that align with your policy. Learning how to file an auto insurance claim — and what it is — is critical to making the most of your insurance coverage.
Auto Insurance Claims: What You Need to Know
An auto insurance claim requests compensation for damages or losses after a car accident or any covered incident. You submit them to your insurance company (or another driver’s insurance company) yourself.
A claim differs from an inquiry, which is when you ask your insurance company if your situation warrants a claim. Learn more about the difference between an auto insurance inquiry vs. auto insurance claim.
Filing an auto insurance claim is similar to filing a claim for another type of insurance, like health, homeowners, or renters policies. Major insurance companies let you file auto insurance claims online via an app or website portal.
You can also call your insurance company to begin the filing process if your incident is complex and you have questions.
You should file a claim immediately, even if you are at fault. Ideally, you should do it at the scene of an accident, but this may not always be realistic. If you file it within a few days, your insurance company will take the claim seriously.
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What You Need to File an Insurance Claim
Filing a claim online is simple but involves submitting important information. To see an example of what filing a claim looks like, refer to Kemper’s claim reporting page. It includes space to explain the incident and asks for policy, vehicle, and personal details.
The best affordable auto insurance companies make claim submission easy. However, you often need to submit evidence that goes beyond basic details. This may include police reports, witness contact information, and the contact, policy, and license details of another driver.
It’s important to collect this evidence at the scene of an incident if you’re able to.
Steps for Processing an Auto Insurance Claim
After you file a claim, your insurance company will process it and compensate you within a few weeks, unless there are any interruptions. You can also check the status of an auto insurance claim to see how it’s progressing. Here is what insurance companies do when processing a claim:
- Receive and document your claim
- Assign a claim adjuster to investigate the incident
- Assess the vehicle damage, request repair estimates, and request medical records if relevant
- Review your policy and subtract the deductible and consider any limitations or exclusions
- Evaluate the overall claim and determine the appropriate amount of compensation
- Settle the claim, inform the policyholder, and pay out the claim
- Close the claim
Your insurance company may have to take additional steps, like liability evaluation, to determine if you were negligent or at fault during an incident.
What to Remember When Filing an Auto Insurance Claim
Before filing, you should ensure you have the right auto insurance coverage for the incident. For example, if you only pay for state-mandated minimum coverage, you may not be able to report vehicle theft.
Many drivers who frequently use their vehicles choose to build their policies until they have full auto insurance coverage. This gives them the power to submit claims for various situations when necessary. Read more about affordable full auto insurance coverage and what situations auto insurance covers.
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Auto Insurance Claims: The Takeaway
Filing auto insurance claims is how you communicate with your insurance company that you need the financial help you deserve. When it’s appropriate to file a claim, you should always do so as soon as possible.
As long as you follow the proper steps and have the right coverage, you should receive payment in a timely fashion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to file a car insurance claim?
Filing the claim itself can be quick if you have information readily available. In that case, you can often do it online in less than an hour. Follow-up phone calls with adjusters may take a half hour or so.
What makes a claim valid?
A claim is valid when you’ve been honest with your insurance company and all involved parties. You’ll also need to have proper coverage for the incident, and repairs must cost more than your deductible.
Do insurance companies know about your claim history?
Yes, an insurance company will generally know about your past claims with other companies. It wants to ensure you are a low-risk driver who won’t cost them too much money. You should be up front about these claims if asked about them.
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Leslie Kasperowicz
Farmers CSR for 4 Years
Leslie Kasperowicz holds a BA in Social Sciences from the University of Winnipeg. She spent several years as a Farmers Insurance CSR, gaining a solid understanding of insurance products including home, life, auto, and commercial and working directly with insurance customers to understand their needs. She has since used that knowledge in her more than ten years as a writer, largely in the insurance…
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