How long after a car accident can you claim on insurance?

Before thinking about filing a claim you may have other issues that take priority. You may have injuries to attend to or vehicle damage that needs immediate attention. 

Even after a minor accident or neglectfully running into a concrete barrier. You might be asking yourself questions like. Is it necessary to file an insurance claim? How long do I have to report it, if that’s what I decide to do?

How long after an accident can you file an auto insurance claim?

Each individual insurance company will have different deadlines for when you are able to file a claim. To find out how long you have to file a claim on your current policy either ask your current insurance company or consult with your insurance broker who wrote the policy.

Keep in mind that most of the insurance companies do not give a strict window to file. Often the policy will read with vague language ie; “promptly” or “within a reasonable timeframe.” In short the insurance companies want you to file as soon as possible.

How much time does the auto insurance provider give?

Reporting the accident to your insurance company is only one piece to who you need to notify. Very often the insurance company will require you to file a police report of the accident within a certain timeframe. Usually this is within 24 hours of the accident. Although this is a very specific timeframe, the policy may read “as soon as possible.”

Often when we are involved in an accident 911 is dialed, so notifying the police department within 24 hours isn’t an issue. After the police are notified you will have to satisfy the claim filing deadline. 

You’re going to want to check to see if your insurance company has given you exact timelines for filing and reporting an accident. If you are still unclear on what’s expected of you, ask one of our agents. We’d love to help you find better coverage and understand the coverage you have. [click here to call an agent]

What should I do before filing an insurance claim?

You’re going to want to take a few simple steps before thinking about filing a claim. We outline some of our suggestions below;

• Call the police department. Please keep in mind that 911 is an emergency hotline. It’s to used if someone is seriously injured and needs immediate assistance. It should not be dialed for a fender bender in the McDonalds drive through. Instead for minor accidents call your local police department. Voice assistants can help you find their number easily.

• Collect all the necessary information from the scene of the accident. Check with your insurance company to see if they have a list of what they would like for you to collect when you’re involved in accident. Some of the basic information you will want to take down will be names of everyone involved, insurance information, cell phone numbers, and addresses (take a picture of the other drivers involved drivers licenses if possible). Take photos of the scene. Make sure to capture damage that was created from the accident as well as damage that may have been pre-existing before the accident. Photo’s of injury claims will be helpful as well.

• Contact the insurance company. There’s a good possibility you can find an app to contact your insurance provider or you can call them directly. Even if you do not feel as if the cause of the car accident has anything to with you and you are planning on filing a third party claim through the other drivers insurance company, it’s important that you contact your own auto insurance provider.

• Get in contact with your auto insurance claims adjuster. You have already reported your claim “promptly” or “within a reasonable timeframe.” All the required information has been submitted so that you can file a claim. At this point the insurance company will assign you an insurance claims adjuster. The adjuster will walk you through everything and investigate the accident. The claims adjuster will also do any necessary follow up on the accident and any repairs or medical care.

• Keep excellent records of everything that happened in the accident. You never know if you will need to show evidence of damage or uncover false accusations. Keep copies of everything as you go through the claims process.

What if you file a claim too late?

What happens if I have damage from the accident that doesn’t show up until a month later? Or what if I discover a new injury that was a result of the accident but it wasn’t noticeable until 3 months after the accident? It is still possible for you to file a claim. Please keep in mind when injuries or car damage show up months after an accident, it can look suspicious in the eyes of an insurance claims adjuster. They will be very particular in investigating the injuries and damage for potential fraud.  

The longer you take to file a claim, the more likely the insurance company will deny your claim. If you have followed all of your insurance policies guidelines, it is possible your claim will be accepted. If you file after the given timeline on your policy, the insurance company no longer has their same obligation to you.

For assistant with your current auto insurance Lodi Ca, Sacramento or Roseville policies, reach out to us. We love helping our clients get the best insurance rates from the top insurance companies in the USA. Call us today, we are standing by to take your call.