What to Expect: Insurance Process
Filing a Claim with your Insurance Company
Filing an insurance claim and working with your insurance company may seem intimidating. We want to teach you how to file an insurance claim, and learn what to expect when speaking to your insurance representative. Bill's Auto Service is always here to help when it comes to filing an insurance claim. If we aren’t available to assist you, here are some basic guidelines that may help you when filing an insurance claim.
Existing Claim
If the claim has already been filed, make sure to have your policy number or claim number with you before calling. Don’t forget to write down your handling adjuster’s information for future reference. If you are calling your insurance company, the claims phone number should be on the back of your insurance card or on the app on your phone.
Filing a New Claim
If a police report was filed, make sure you have that document in front of you. If you don’t have a police report, make sure you have written down the following information so process goes more smoothly.
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The date, time and location of the accident.
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What kind of vehicles (year, make & model) were involved in the accident
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and what damages did the vehicles sustain during the accident
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Who all was in your vehicle at the time of the accident and if anyone was injured
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Was anyone cited?
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Make sure to inform the insurance company at the time of filing the claim if any airbags deployed, codes on the dash, sensors going off, seat belts that are locked, lights that are broken, or if any pieces are dragging the ground when driving.
Once the claim is filed, WRITE DOWN THE CLAIM NUMBER and follow the insurance company’s next steps on how to get your estimate completed. Some insurance companies will recommend you to download an app and send them pictures that way. That is an option; however, we would be glad to assist you in taking photos and helping you send them to the insurance company. Writing an estimate based on photos is very difficult and may result in many items missed on the estimate. NOTE: There are still a couple insurance companies that still write their own estimates and an estimate from the shop isn’t required.
