Met with An Accident? Here’s How You Claim Insurance!
Regardless of how good a driver one is, accidents do happen. While your vehicle insurance can save you from the financial consequences of these situations, it is best to be prepared for it. The knowledge of how to deal with the after-effects of accidents will help you handle the situation a lot better and make informed decisions. We are here to help prepare you on what to do when you meet with an accident and how to file your insurance to get your claim. Let’s take a look. Also visit: https://www.airambulance1.com/
What to Do When You Meet with An Accident?
Keep Calm: One of the most important things to remember when you meet with an accident is to try to keep calm and stay composed. The first priority should be to check all the members travelling in the car for any injuries. If they have first-degree injuries, make use of the first-aid kit in the car and tend to them. Then, call for an ambulance so as to get EMT (Emergency Medical Team) to attend to them and take them to hospital for further medical investigations and treatment. It is particularly important to check all those involved in accident for any internal injuries.
Inform the Police: If the accident caused is severe, it is better to have a police officer assess and take control of the situation. Call up the emergency police helpline and explain the situation. They can help you find the right help and contain the situation. Further, they can help you file an FIR for insurance formalities.
Call Your Insurer: Your insurer is equally invested in the well-being of your vehicle and you. So, call them and inform them of the accident. In case you can’t get through to a specific person, you could always call their customer care and further also ask for roadside assistance if needed. It is a good practice to check and save these numbers from the initial correspondence you’d get from your insurer when you purchase a plan. If not, you can easily get the correct numbers from the policy papers or the insurer’s website. Your insurer will help you file a claim and assess the damages to help fix your car.
Vehicle Assessment: Once your insurer is notified of the accident, they will send an authorised surveyor to examine the damages caused to or by the vehicle, if any. This will help them make an estimate of the repair costs. Also, it is better to let the vehicle be, before the surveyor arrives, instead of moving it, unless your insurer asks otherwise. It is advisable to take pictures of the accident zone and the vehicle for records. Once the surveyor examines the zone and the vehicle, they will take your statement on how the accident occurred.
Repairs and Replacements: Based on the damages suffered, your insurer will help provide help to take your vehicle to the nearest garage to fix your vehicle. If the repair takes place at one of the garages listed under your insurer’s network, it might simplify your claim settlement process as you can avail of a cashless settlement. The garage fixes your vehicle and the bill is paid directly by the insurer, after the deductibles are taken into account. After that, you can take your car home. If you get your car repaired in a garage of your choice which is not listed in the network, you will have to pay the bills and submit the same along with a claim form and other required documents to your insurer. The claim amount will be paid to you after the insurer assesses and approves your claim.