If you have an accident with somebody and you are not at fault, you’re going to need to file a claim. And this video will help you file a claim when you are not at fault in a collision with your vehicle.
The first thing to do is to find out if the other person has insurance who hit you. Gather their information, get their policy number if possible, their name and address and all their contact information.
The next thing you want to do is contact the carrier who will ultimately pay the claim. And, that will be the other person who hit you. So, you call that carrier and you let them know you were involved. They’re going to want to get a statement from you.
When you give that statement, make sure you use words that are definite, not use words like I think or maybe or possibly. When you give your statement, be definite about the facts of the case because if somebody else was at fault, you need to know exactly what happened.
So, you gave your statement. Now you need to get your vehicle repaired. Well, you’re entitled to take your vehicle to any auto body shop you want. So, if you have a favorite auto body place you’d like to use, that’s fine as long as their charges are reasonable and customary.
I recommend that you let the adjuster of the carrier who is going to pay and the auto body shop negotiate directly to get your vehicle repaired. It’s usually more difficult if you actually get involved and try to negotiate with the auto body shop and the insurance company. Let them negotiate directly.
So you take your vehicle in, it’s being repaired, but you need a rental vehicle in the meantime. You are entitled to a rental vehicle to be paid for at the insurance company’s expense while your vehicle is being repaired.
So, if your car is going to be in the shop for a week or so, the insurance company should pay for a rental vehicle for you to use in the meantime.
If you have problems with filing a claim with somebody else’s carrier, you can always file the claim under your own carrier. You will be responsible for your deductible and the insurance company will generally try to recover that money for you, but it’s not guaranteed. So, we usually recommend filing the claim with the carrier that’s going to pay the claim to start with.
But if you can’t get satisfaction that way, you can always go to your own carrier and file a claim.
If you have any questions on how to file a claim, whether it be your own claim or a claim for somebody else, feel free to contact us here at the Philleo Agency and make sure to check out our other videos at Philleo.com.
Thanks for watching.
