Anybody who has been a car accident victim will automatically want to file an insurance claim for the damages. Hence most victims have the question about the duration of time one must wait in order to file the claim. The answer to this question can have many different answers depending on different factors.
For starters, the first consideration is the severity of injuries sustained during the accident. For instance, if your injuries are severe, you might have to delay the claiming process for the time being. However, it is still advisable that you send someone to the insurance company to notify them about the accident.
In general, most insurers will need you to file the claim within thirty days of the accident, but this criterion might vary based on your insurer’s policies. However, some insurers might still excuse this as long as you have notified them about the car accident within thirty days.
Things That Need To Be Done Before filing The Claim
One must first understand that reporting an accident and actually filing a claim are two different things. Most insurers will require you to report the accident within thirty days, but that does not mean one has to file the claim in the period. In addition, your insurer might also require you to file a police report within the first 24 hours, especially in cases where there are injuries.
The chances of the accidents being reported to emergency helplines are high as someone or the other will report. This means this will cover the need for injury claims as chances are you will be rushed to the nearest hospital with an ambulance. Apart from that, there are certain other things that you will need to do before actually filing the claim. These things include:
- Call The Emergency Service: Whenever you or anyone else is involved in car accident, the first thing to do is alert the emergency helpline. Do it yourself if possible, or ask someone else to do it. This way, it ensures you get the required medical attention. Apart from that, this will also ensure that you have a police report which will come in handy when filing the claim.
- Accumulating All The Necessary Documents: Whenever you are filing an insurance claim, the insurer will require you to produce many documents. These are the documents that generally include contact details, names, addresses, and the information associated with the insurance. Even if you are not able to gather these documents, chances are the police on the spot will. Furthermore, you should even take pictures of the car accident scene if possible.
- Alert The Insurance Provider: The next thing you need to do is alert the insurance company about the accident. This is something that needs to be done at the earliest as the insurance provider might require this information to help them get started on the procedures associated with the claim.
- Contact Your Adjuster: After you have informed the insurance provider about the car accident, they will assign you with an adjuster. The adjuster will be responsible for communicating everything about the insurance claim to you and other stakeholders. Therefore, make sure to contact them at the earliest and get started on the procedures associated with the insurance claim.
- Provide Every Information To The Insurance Company: After the car accident, chances are you have gathered some documents and evidence to support your insurance claim. Therefore, no matter what those documents or evidence are, they can be anything from relevant information to pictures of the accident scene. Hence make sure to keep a copy of all this information and provide the same to the insurance company when asked for. This will enhance the chances of your claim and ensure you get the worth.
In Conclusion
Following these aforementioned steps will help you get your claim much faster than usual. However, when it comes to the time you must wait before filing the claim is entirely dependent on your insurance company and the laws associated with the accident and insurance claim. Nonetheless, it would be best if you do not wait for over a month to file a claim because the longer you wait, the number of complications will also increase simultaneously.
