Some tips for dealing with your insurance company after a car accident

Your insurance company is usually on your side when you get into an accident. However, the sheer amount of communication you have to initiate and track — not to mention the records and other paper trails you may have to obtain or monitor — can make you feel like the opposite is true. The process of filing an insurance claim and recouping costs does not have to be that complicated, and if you know what to do when you contact your agent, your experience can be much more efficient.

Once you get your agent on the phone, tell them exactly what happened. Even if the accident is your fault, you really don’t want to leave out information. If there is a police report, the agent will get a copy — and they’ll find out what happened anyway, which will result only in more calls that you have to make.

But telling the agent exactly what happened is about more than just those calls — whatever you tell the insurance company and the police go on record, and if you end up suing another party involved in the accident, you want your records to be as complete and as accurate as possible.

Speaking of records, get copies of whatever the police and the insurance company create. You’ll want copies of the police report, any pictures you took, any insurance claim forms, and more. It’s better to have those now in case you do decide to go to court; you’ll save time because you won’t have to hunt down records to show your lawyer.

Your agent should help you get the compensation you need according to what your insurance policy allows. If you need more, say for huge medical bills that exceed your and the other party’s auto insurance coverage, you may have to head to court. If you decide that’s the best option, speak with a lawyer at Eisenberg Law Offices at 608-256-8356. You want to confirm that your case has a good chance of winning — and to do that, you’ll need all those records you created earlier.