Auto insurance is one of the protections people put in place and hope that they never end up using. Keeping the coverage is up to date, since it will come in handy if some sort of claim must be filed. Here are a few questions related to car accident claims Austin Texas and some information that you need to know.
How Soon Should You File a Claim?
Ideally, any type of event covered in the insurance plan should be reported to the insurance provider as soon as possible. Along with contacting the local authorities so that the accident is properly documented with the police department, do call your agent, or at least use the contact information the company provides to notify the provider that an accident has taken place.
The goal is to take care of some of the basic preliminaries relate to filing a claim. You may need to fill out more documents later on. At one time, this had to be done using hard copies that were submitted to an agent. Today, it can often be done online, something that saves time.
Do You File With Your Company or the Responsible Party’s Company?
The insurance company for the party that’s at fault should be the recipient of the claim. This means if you were the party who caused the event, all claims are remitted to your provider. If the other party is at fault, then the claims are directed to his or her provider.
An exception is when the responsible party does not have coverage. If that should happen, you would contact your provider, explain the situation, and begin to file claims in hopes of being able to cover the cost of repairs. Your provider will then seek damages from the responsible party to recover the money spent to settle your claim.
What Would Lead to a Claim Being Rejected?
There are reasons why car accident claims Austin Texas are rejected. One of the most common is that the event itself is not covered in the terms and conditions of the policy. For example, the policy may cover damage to your car if it was parked on the street, but not if it was pulled into your driveway. With the latter, the event may be covered by your homeowner’s policy.
If there is any question about who is responsible for the event, that may also be grounds for delaying or denying the claim. This is one of the reasons why a police report is helpful. If the details are documented immediately after the event. They clearly identify who is at fault, the claim is not likely to be rejected.
Do You Have Any Recourse If a Claim is Rejected?
The claim is rejected, that’s not necessarily the end of the matter. You can still hire an attorney and seek legal redress for the damage, plus the costs associated with pursuing a settlement. That suit may be directed at an insurance provider. It may be aimed at the person who caused the accident.
Keep in mind that this type of action does not guarantee any particular outcome. In addition, there will be legal fees deducted amount the court awards you. In some cases, what you end up recovering may be much less than you hoped to get.
If you have any questions about how to file a car accident claim, don’t hesitate to talk with your insurance agent. You will also want to ensure the vehicle examined by a certified professional. It ensures there is no question of the damage and what it will take to make the repairs. In the best possible outcome, the car will be repair and you will be back on the road soon. Explore more about car accidents.
