Ways To Ensure That An Auto Insurance Company Treats A Claim Fairly
Anyone who drives a vehicle needs an auto insurance policy, and that means dealing with an auto insurance company. The law mandates that all drivers must carry valid insurance, but this can often lead to problems with unscrupulous insurance dealers, bad quotes and high premiums that do not justify the low coverage offered. While many auto insurance companies have improved their service and offerings over the last decade thanks to the availability of online quotes, an auto insurance policy remains something that many Americans are afraid to seek out; not only because of cost but because they are afraid to use it should an accident happen. There is still a general feeling that insurance companies will not treat claims fairly when they are made and in truth some do not. There are several ways that drivers can ensure that their auto insurance company is treating their claim fairly.
First and foremost, a driver must ensure that they have as much information about the accident and other driver as they can. This means they should obtain driver's license information, license plate data and insurance information from the other driver before leaving the scene of an accident, in addition to a name and phone number. Clients should then call their own insurance company, who should contact the other party's insurance and begin the claims process. If this does not happen or if an insurance company claims that no contact can be made with the other party or insurance, a driver may have to make some phone calls of their own. With information in hand, drivers can help to ensure that their provider is doing everything they can and everything they are supposed to in order to fairly deal with their claim.
If there is evidence of wrongdoing on the part of an insurance company - be it an unfairly rejected claim, a claim that is taking too long or too low a settlement, clients can appeal to the insurance commission in their state. These commissions are intended to act as unbiased third parties in order to evaluate claims disputes and issues over costs. However, be aware that this option is the final step before court action must be taken - the review board is neutral and will not take sides - they are not an advocate for consumers, but simply exist to ensure that state laws are followed.
While insurance companies are, overall, improving their claims and service levels, drivers must be vigilant in order to ensure that their claims are processed quickly, fairly and accurately. Having all of the necessary information and being willing to take steps if necessary can go a long way to settling a claim quickly.
