Regardless of who was at fault, drivers should file claims with their insurance companies as soon as possible after an accident. It is important that you have a phone number for your insurance agent that you can call. You will need to find out if you are covered for the loss and let your insurance company know what has happened, because the other driver who was involved will likely file a claim of their own. There are different laws for the insurance claim process in each state, but your insurance agent or any other representative from the company should be able to answer all your questions.

Once you have your insurance agent or company representative on the phone, you can find out what kind of forms or documentation you will need to provide. This will typically include a proof of claim form and any police reports, if applicable. It is important to get accurate contact information from any other persons involved in an accident and save copies of all accident-related bills, so you can provide this information as well.

In order to have a smooth claim filing process, you will want to find out right away whether your policy has a time limit for filing claims, submitting bills, resolving claim disputes, and submitting additional information. Your insurance agent or company representative can also tell you when a claims representative from the company will be in contact and what kind of legwork you will need to do, such as getting repair estimates. If you don’t already know about it, this is a good time to find out if your policy pays for a rental car if there has been extensive damage to your vehicle as well.

Once all the necessary information and documentation has been submitted, the insurance company will process your claim.