Making a Car Insurance Claim-What You Should Know

There may come a time when it is necessary for you to make a claim against your insurance company for damage caused to your vehicle or someone else's. Indeed it may be necessary for you inform your insurance company that you have been involved in an RTA (Road Traffic Accident) and that you were the party responsible for causing the accident: whatever the reasons for making a claim here are a few things worth bearing in mind.

Some of the reasons you may have to make a claim against your insurance are:

• Theft
• Accidental Damage
• Criminal Damage
• Injury to Others
• Injury to Yourself
• Damage to Personal Belongings
• Fire Damage
• Medical Expenses

Contacting Your Insurance Company

If you need to make a claim the first thing you must do is contact your insurance company. It is important that you do this as soon as you possibly can or - if you have received injuries as the result of an RTA (Road Traffic Accident) - as soon as it is practical for you to do so.

Most insurance companies now have direct telephone lines which have advisors who can take the details of your claim over the telephone and set the wheels in motion. Likewise if your policy offers the facility for you - as the driver - to have use of a courtesy vehicle while your own vehicle is off the road, then the insurance company can arrange this in the early stages of the claim.

What Information Does My Insurance Company Need?

Firstly you should provide the insurance company with your policy details; name, address policy number etc. They will ask you to confirm the nature of the claim you wish to make and also ask you for any other relevant information such as:

• Names and addresses of others involved in the incident
• Nature of damage to vehicle
• Crime Number (if relevant)

When you first contact your insurance company it is important that you remain as calm as possible throughout and answer all of their questions to the best of your abilities.

Making Your Claim

Once you have made the initial contact with your insurance company you will receive a claims document which you are required to fill out and return to them. This document will have to include the exact nature of the claim you are making and any other documentation relevant to it. This may include:

• Invoices from garages
• Statement from the police
• Eye-witness statements
• Incident report
• Any photographic evidence
• Quotations for repairs
• Copy of your driving licence

Again the nature of the documentation you will enclose with your policy is indicative of the nature of your claim but you should endeavour to ensure that all necessary paperwork is enclosed to help the process run smoothly.

It is important that you fill in every aspect of the forms sent to you by the insurance company and if there is any further information you think is relevant to them then you should attach it on separate sheets of A4 paper - preferably stapling it to the claim form and attaching a note to say you have done so.

Do not be afraid to provide as much information as you can; providing the information you give is relevant then you can never provide your insurance company with enough; it will help them understand the nature of your claim and will also help you understand what the insurance company is expected to do on your behalf.

As mentioned previously you may be required to provide a copy of your driving licence; if this is the case then you should provide both a copy of the card and paper versions if in your possession. Insurance companies often ask for copies of driving licence documents in order to prove the validity of a driver's claim and also to prove they are legally eligible to drive. They may also wish to check for endorsements.

After You Have Made Your Claim

The most important aspect to remember after making your claim is time; you should be aware that most insurance companies - given the number of vehicle owners - will be busy and that not all claims will be resolved in a matter of days. Depending on the nature of the claim - and whether or not the insurance companies of other parties involved co-operate fully - will determine how quickly a claim is settled.

You should allow initially a few days for receipt of your completed claim form and documentation to arrive back with your insurance company. If you have heard nothing from them by mail, email or telephone within 7 working days then you should consider contacting them to ensure that all necessary documentation has arrived.

Likewise if you are sending your documentation through the post it is wise to make copies - and check to see which documents the insurance company will accept copies of first - and register the sending of any letters if you can.