How to appeal your car accident claim

Did something happen to your car and you need to contact your insurance company? Find out how to do it.

Anyone who has car insurance can count on the service of having someone to turn to in the event of an accident. The problem is that, when you need it most, you may have doubts about what to do.

The first thing to do is to understand whether your insurance has coverage for that particular claim. Therefore, you need to know what is stated in the policy to avoid unpleasant surprises.

Image: Getty

How to activate your car insurance

Knowing that the incident is covered by your insurance, first file a police report.

In cases of theft, this will be the first step in searching for the vehicle. In cases of collisions, this will be another way to record the incident.

Once this is done, you need to contact the insurance company and the quickest way is usually to call their customer service department. Therefore, it is always a good idea to have their number with you.

In some cases, the broker can help, but it is worth noting that it is the insurance company that carries out all the procedures, which is why this ends up being the most recommended route.

In this contact, you will be informed of all the procedures that must be carried out from that moment onwards, as well as the documents to be sent.

It is worth noting that in order for the insurance company to cover the losses, the requested documents must be presented. Normally, there is a 30-day deadline for submission.

If the documents are not presented, the procedure for reimbursement or repair of the vehicle will not be carried out. The sooner the documentation is presented, the faster the reimbursement will be made.

What to do when the insurance company refuses to pay compensation?

Refusal of compensation may occur for several reasons.

Coverage not included

If the insured does not have specific coverage for that event, the insurer will not cover it. This information can be found in the insurance policy.

Divergent information

If any information is incorrect when filling out the insurance application form, the claim will be denied. For example, if the car is used for commercial purposes and this was not communicated.

Late payment

If insurance payments are not up to date, this can become a problem. If the payment is late, the service will initially be suspended and then cancelled. If a claim occurs due to late payment, the claim may be refused.