Making your car insurance claim after a car accident can be pretty difficult, especially if you don’t know how to go about it. The important thing to remember is to keep a clear head. No matter how emotional the circumstances may be, you need to remember to take note of all the important details that you will need later on.

Try to be calm and gauge the extent of the damage

Once you regain consciousness, try to take note of all the minute details of the accident. Make a detailed self-report of all the physical damages of your car. If there are any injuries on your part, include that in your notes as well.

If you can get a photo of your car’s damage immediately after the accident, it would help a lot, especially if there’s any possibility of a dispute between you and your insurance agent while you’re making the claim.

Do not panic. Get the make of the other party’s car.

Aside from the details of your injuries and car damages, you also need to collect the necessary information from the other party involved. If you’re conscious, take note of the other party’s car model and plate number. Try to recall your car’s motion or direction against the other party’s. If you can, try to investigate if there are also any injuries on their side of the fence.

File an official report with the police

You also need to make a clear and official report with the authorities if you’re planning on making your auto insurance claim feasible. Unless there are any official reports about the accident, your chances of claiming your premium are slim.

Discuss the accident only with the authorities

While your case is still being processed, it’s best to keep mum about it and only discuss the details with the police. Slips in your narrative when you’re talking to other people may make you liable for the damages caused by the accident. This depends on the terms and conditions of your auto insurance.

If the terms set by the policy are stringent, and there’s a chance that you won’t be able to make your claim if you’re at fault, avoid talking about the incident to other people. Keep the discussion between you, the police, and your insurance agent.

Call your insurance agent only when you’re ready

Once you have all the fact straight, and you’ve made an official police report about the accident, you can call up your insurance firm’s hotline and file the claim. Be very careful about how you word your report though. These 888-calls are recorded, and the call is going into your file the minute you say hello.

Find out where you should call in case of disputes

Although this is highly unlikely, you should be prepared just in case you insurance agent disputed your claim. This only usually happens when you’re either proven liable for the accident, or when you’ve failed to file the claim properly.

In any event that this happens, there are always arbitration and mediation services to call. A word of advice, although they don’t sound so different on paper, mediation services are usually cheaper compared to arbitration.

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