Hello, my name is Linda Suzanne. Welcome to my website about insurance. When I was first living on my own, I went without many different forms of insurance due to budget constraints. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side, so that decision did not serve me well. After suffering several major financial losses, I looked into affordable insurance options that would protect me from further complications. On this site, I want to help everyone understand how to acquire the insurance coverage that works best within their budget. Thank you for coming to visit my site. I invite you to come back often to learn more.
You likely know how important car insurance is when it comes to providing financial protection after an accident. However, do you know how to actually use your car insurance when the time comes? Here's an overview of how auto insurance works so that you can be well-prepared.
Document The Damage
One of the first things you should do is document the damage to your vehicle immediately after an accident. This can help prove who was at fault and caused the accident, and verify what damage was caused by the accident. You don't want any confusion when it comes to filing a claim with your car insurance provider, especially if they question if certain damage was related to the accident.
Assess The Amount Of Damage
Your car insurance policy is going to have a deductible, which is the amount you pay before your insurance provider pays for the rest of the repairs. You'll definitely want to assess the damage to determine if it is more than your deductible. If the damage is going to be less than your deductible, then it is not going to be worth filing a claim to have your insurance company fix it. Any cost beyond your deductible will be savings that you'll see in the end.
Contact Your Insurance Provider
The next step is to contact your insurance provider so that you can start the claim process. They'll let you know what forms to fill out, as well as what your next steps are. It is likely that they will want to have an insurance adjuster inspect your car to give their own assessment of the damage. This is because it is possible for a vehicle to be totaled if the repairs are too much. This is when the estimated bills exceed the actual cash value of what the car would be worth if you sold it before the accident.
Wait For Claim Approval
You'll need to wait for your insurance provider to approve your claim before work can be done. Once the claim is approved, you can take your vehicle to an approved auto shop to have them fix the damage. You will also be notified about how you can pay your deductible as well since that will be the only portion you pay for the repair costs.
Reach out to an insurance provider near you if you have questions about using your auto insurance.