Collision Insurance: Your Deductible

• Collision insurance will pay you for damage to your car in the event of an accident regardless of fault. It will either pay for repairs or to replace the car depending on the condition of the vehicle. Before the insurance will pay, you must pay the deductible set forth in the terms of your policy. This deductible was determined by you when you initially purchased coverage. If you do not have collision coverage on your own vehicle, you can still receive reimbursement for damages by filing a claim against the insurance of the other driver involved in the accident if he is in fact at least partially at fault.
  
  

Collision Insurance: Driver Responsibilities

• To collect on an insurance claim, you first need to report the accident to your insurance company. You should also try to report the accident to the police and obtain a police report. Your insurance company should be notified as soon as possible that you were in an accident. If you can call from the scene of the accident and report it, it is even better. The insurance company will let you know how to proceed and inform you of the necessary paperwork you will have to fill out. Write down as many details about the accident as possible and document the conversations you have with all parties involved, writing down their title, name, the time you spoke to them and a brief summary of the discussion.
  
  

Collision Insurance: Carrier Responsibilities

• The insurance carrier will collect as much information as possible from you and other sources regarding the accident, how it happened, and when and where it took place. The company will then send out an insurance adjuster to evaluate the damage to your car and estimate the cost of repair. Alternatively, the insurance company may be part of a direct repair program. In this case, an adjuster may not visit you but rather you will be referred to a repair shop with which the insurance carrier has an agreement. This repair shop will provide the estimate and can begin repair immediately. In this case, the insurance company will pay the shop directly for repairs.
  
  

Follow Up on Your Claim

• After the estimate has been provided, you may feel that this price is too low. You can dispute the amount the insurance company offers you and it may take several weeks or months to have the final results of your dispute. In the event, after having disputed your claim with the insurance company, you are not satisfied with its offer, you may wish to seek legal representation. Also, if you were not at fault for the accident, your insurance company will attempt to collect the amount of your collision claim, including your deductible, from the other driver's insurance company.