Accidents happen every day. As prepared as you may be, some situations may be unavoidable, but that’s what insurance companies are there for, in case you need them. As reassuring as you can be and you were ever unlucky enough to be involved in an accident, the problem still stands that it can be a very time-consuming matter despite being covered by your insurance provider. If you are involved in an accident, there are steps that you can take to help speed up the process.
Information
The moment an accident occurs, one of the most important things you need to do to make your insurance claim process run smoothly and increase the speed of it is to gather all the information you need. As what this law firm gives emphasis to, it is imperative that you take down information as quickly and as accurately as you can, not only for your claims to process quickly and smoothly but also in the event that your accident turns into a court case.
All involved parties need to exchange names, phone numbers, addresses and e-mail addresses. Drivers should exchange insurance information, including company names, policy numbers, and phone numbers. You should also note the number of people, including passengers involved in the accident. Any passenger information should also be part of the data exchanged.
If there are any witnesses of the incident on the scene, getting their contact information can also be beneficial in speeding up the claims process.
Once that information has been exchanged, take down additional information such as the exact location of the incident, as well as any emergency personnel on hand can give things like departments, badge numbers, report numbers, etc. Taking down as much information relevant to the accident that can benefit any sort of investigation can help speed up the process of your insurance claims.
Pictures
When involved in a car accident, it is important to take down information and details. In addition to these notes, taking pictures for evidence can help any sort of investigation. If involved in a collision, take pictures of all cars that are part of the accident, getting all angles to ensure you have evidence for any damages that may have resulted from the accident.
In addition to pictures of the vehicles, take pictures of the scene of the accident as well, and also take pictures of the other driver’s auto insurance cards or documents. When taking any pictures, ensure that they are clear and sharp, to help you with processing claims faster.
Law Enforcement
When involved in any incidents that are above anything minor, it is a good idea to call the police. They will usually help sort things out in a timely and organized manner and will gather all the information needed to file reports and continue investigations. Additionally, having law enforcement present after an accident can provide unbiased witness and testimony if the case were to ever be brought to court for further investigation.
Parties are more likely to cooperate when police are involved, lowering the likelihood of false statements. The reports can be accessed through the instruction of the officers and you can relay this information to your insurance company to help with the process.
Communication
When involved in an accident, if you want to help the process run and progress as quickly as possible, communicate from the start. Open lines of communication with all those involved, including other drivers, passengers, witnesses, police and emergency personnel. It is especially important to communicate in detail and in full honesty with your insurance companies.
You may be tempted to leave out any incriminating details that might put more responsibility for the accident on you, but failure to communicate or false claims will only prolong the claim process and may lead to a further unnecessary investigation.
Insurance adjusters are very good at finding out information and if you are not fully honest about the facts of the incident, you are only making it worse on yourself as it may then turn into a case of insurance fraud which will then cost you much more money and time in the long run.
In the event of an accident, you might not be able to process all the information as quickly and reliably. There are a few things you should try to remember even in what might be a chaotic situation. Write down and exchange as much information as possible, take pictures for evidence, call law enforcement, and communicate clearly and honestly. Doing these things to the best of your ability will help speed up the process of settling your insurance claims.
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