Ban squealed. A thud Suddenly pop airbags. You just got involved in a car accident. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Your car, on the other hand, has seen better days. What is happening right now? Who will pay compensation? And how long before you have a reliable set of wheels again?
Whether it's a small fender dent or your car will work, it's important to know what to expect insurance wisely after an accident or unfortunate event that damages your vehicle. Assuming you have the right coverage in place of a reputable insurance company, fixing your car properly and appropriately does not have to be an ordeal.
Types of Auto Insurance Coverage that Replaces Your Car Repair
First, it is important to understand the three main types of car insurance coverage that can cover you and your car while in a body store: collision, comprehensive, and reimbursement of rental car insurance. Collisions and comprehensive are usually optional shelters that pay for your vehicle repairs after an accident, and have a deductible (the usual amount is $ 250, $ 500 or $ 1,000). The lower your deductible, the higher your premium will be but the less you will be liable to get out of pocket if you make a claim. If there is a total loss, your insurance company will pay (after you press your deductible) to ACV, which is the original purchase price of your car minus depreciation. This is not required by law, but may be requested by your leasing or finance company.
- Collision Insurance pays the cost of repair or replacement on your car when involved in an accident with another vehicle or a stationary object. Note that insurance companies generally require you to have comprehensive coverage before adding a collision.
- Comprehensive Insurance covers damage to your vehicle not because of a collision. Incidents include theft, vandalism, fires, falling objects, severe storms and natural disasters, animal beats, and God or nature actions that are usually out of your control while driving. You usually change the deducted ACV amount if your vehicle needs to be replaced.
- Car Rental Insurance is an optional coverage that helps pay for rental vehicle expenses when your car is repaired. Often, there are limits per accidents, per day, and maximum days (like $ 600 per accident, $ 20 per day, and maximum 30 days) for this coverage, which can cost less than $ 10 per month.
It has both comprehensive and collisions considered "full coverage". Either they are worth down to the value of your car. If it's new, it's more worth it because the value you're holding loses is higher if your car reaches the total. As we mentioned, the insurance company pays the cash value of the car after the depreciation is taken into account, so a new car will have a higher value that makes more sense to cover.
Note: that this is different from liability insurance, which covers damage to the car or other people's belongings as well as bodily injury resulting from the accident you caused. Drivers in each state are required by law to have this coverage, although the mandated minimum threshold will vary.
What to Do Immediately after an accident or Mishap
Following events that damage cars, experts strongly advise to contact:
� 9-1-1 emergency services if anyone is injured
� Local police if there are other cars/properties involved
� Your insurance company reports a claim
"Insurance should get involved soon," said Nicholas Cronauer, attorney Charles E. Cronauer & Associates. "Insurance companies generally judge who is wrong between them, based on the statement of the insured and their police report."
The claim letter will be assigned immediately to your case, and it may be your primary point of contact throughout the claim/repair settlement process. This person will:
� Expect you to answer all questions honestly and as thoroughly as possible
� Collect statements from witnesses
� Check the details of the accident
� Review medical reports
� Check all the vehicles involved
� Give an estimate of damage repair
Who Covers What's For Your Car?
If you are wrong, your insurance company will bear your repairs after you pay a deductible fee. If another driver is wrong, you may choose to ask the insurance company to handle your claim; but if they are uncooperative or responsive, you may choose to have your insurance company pay your repairs (minus deductible expenses). In this event, your insurance company will ask for compensation (including the replacement of your deductible) from another airline through inter-company arbitration or a process called subrogation, where - especially if there is a dispute about who is at fault - the insurance company can sue each other in court to return the claim money paid to the insured.
Kathy Wertheim, a driver in Ventura, California, says it's important to be persistent with your adjuster after filing a claim. "Do not assume they know what's happening, call them every few days, and call you're normal insurance agent, too," said Wertheim, who was disappointed he had to wait several weeks to receive his replacement check after an accident involving his 2007 Prius, can be fixed. His insurance company changed his name to ACV pre-accident ($ 10,300), and finally, he bought a comparable replacement vehicle that returned an additional $ 5,000.
If the damage is minimal (usually under $ 1,000), there are no injuries and no other personal goods/vehicles are involved, you can always choose to pay for the repairs yourself without making a claim. Filing a claim may raise your car insurance offer in the future because the insurance company views you as a more risky policyholder to make sure.
Choosing Auto Repair Workshop
Unless your policy determines otherwise, you have the right to determine where your vehicle is and is not obliged to go with any business advised by your insurance company or another driver. However, keep in mind that if the estimate you get from a different collision shop is higher than the estimate determined by the insurance company, you may have to pay the difference.
The advantage of going with the repair facilities recommended by insurance is that insurance companies "have an established relationship with the company, get used to their work and can trust them," said Bob Passmore, assistant vice president for personal lines for the American Property Casualty Insurers Association. "But you should always be comfortable with whoever you choose to improve."
Therefore, it may be wise to put quotes from some repair shops to your insurance company. Consider the following tips when choosing a repair facility:
� Ask friends and relatives to refer to stores they trust.
� Give your insurance company a forecast copy to the store, and make sure they can complete all the work shown on the estimate.
� Have the store give you an approximate price in writing, and make sure your insurance company approves this estimate.
� Try to get a lifetime warranty on repairs, which could indicate a trustworthy company.
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