By Juan Lucia
If you have ever been in an auto accident, then you know the uncertainty that can set in as you wonder if your insurance will cover the damages. You may also wonder what happens if someone hit your parked car while you were away. There are some things that you will want to do in order to make sure that your car is fixed right away.
There is nothing like coming back to your car and finding it damaged from someone that hit you and then took off. Here are the steps that you will want to take at the scene of the accident.
- The very first thing you will want to do is call the police. They will arrive and issue an accident report. This report will be needed by your insurance company to prove the scene of the accident. The report should provide all the information needed to get your claim rolling.
- The next thing you will want to do is call your insurance company. Make sure to speak with someone in the claims department. They will need some basic information from you. You may also find additional steps that you may need to do to finalize the claim.
- You will also want to completely document the accident. This means writing out the details of what happened. Note the location, time of day and all-weather conditions. If you are able to get pictures of the area and the damage to your care, then go ahead and take the pictures. Make sure to get some landmarks in the picture so the location can be verified if the insurance agents need to look at the area.
Your policy will pay for the damages according to what you have selected for coverage. If you only have liability insurance coverage, then you will find that your policy will not pay to fix your car. You will need to have collision coverage on the policy before the accident in order to have the policy pay for the damages. Some exceptions may apply if the person fled the scene or has no insurance at all. In this case, the uninsured part of your policy will pay for the damages. But this depends on the state in which you reside.
You will find that you may have to pay your deductible in order to have your car fixed. But that is minor to getting your car back on the road without the damages. Your claim will also be subject to your policy limits.
Finding out that your vehicle was damaged while you were away is stressful and can even be upsetting to you. But having that insurance policy in place can take that stress off of you. If you have further questions about coverages and policy limitations, it would be a good idea for you to call your insurance agent today. They will be able to provide you with all the information that you are looking for.
