GEICO doesn’t have a specific time limit for submitting an accident claim on your policy—but that doesn’t mean you should take your time. To ensure all the evidence stays intact and that all parties remember the details of the event, you should report the accident and file a car insurance claim as soon as possible.
If you’ve just been in a car accident, you’ve probably got a lot on your mind—especially if that accident has left you without a vehicle. Luckily, GEICO won’t deny a claim based solely on late notice, so giving yourself a day or so to recover shouldn’t make much difference. That said, the sooner you get your claim filed, the sooner you’ll be finished with the claims process.
To make sure you’re prepared in case of an auto accident, we’ve assembled this guide to tell you everything you need to know about when and how to file a claim on your GEICO car insurance
policy after an accident. How long do you have to submit a GEICO claim after a car accident?
Technically, there’s no time limit on submitting a claim for an accident to GEICO. GEICO can’t deny your claim just because you waited too long to file it. That said, if GEICO can prove the delay was unreasonable or that waiting to file the claim resulted in the insurance adjuster’s inability to investigate the claim, then your claim could be denied.
This is why, even though you don’t have a set limit on how long you have to file a car insurance claim
after a motor vehicle accident, the sooner you get it done, the better. The longer you wait to make your claim, the more likely it is that evidence will degrade or be lost, and the more likely you’ll be to forget exactly what happened. RECOMMENDEDNo spam or unwanted phone calls · No long forms
Do you have to report a car accident to your insurance company?
If you’re involved in a serious accident, there’s no question as to whether you should report it to your auto insurance company—you definitely should. In fact, your policy and every auto insurance policy includes language specifying that policyholders must immediately report any accident that might trigger coverage.
But what if this was just a minor accident? Do you still have to report it to your provider? While you may not have to report minor accidents to your insurance provider, it’s still a good idea to do so—especially if there’s another driver or someone else’s property involved. That said, if you and your property are all that’s involved—let’s say you accidentally backed into your garage door or hit a post in a parking lot—you probably don’t need to report the accident.
What will GEICO insurance pay for?
What GEICO insurance will pay for depends on the type of policy you have. If you only carry liability coverage
, then your provider will pay for property damages and medical expenses for the other driver, but they won’t pay for any of your damages or medical bills. However, if you carry full coverage car insurance
with GEICO, then you actually have at least three types of insurance
and the ability to file claims on your own behalf. A GEICO full coverage insurance
includes basic liability coverage as well as: Collision coverage
to pay for damage caused by—you guessed it—collisionsComprehensive coverage
to pay for costs associated with damage caused by something other than a collision, like vandalism, animals, weather, or theft.
It might sound like GEICO will pay for everything if you have a full coverage policy, but that’s not the case. No “full-coverage” policy is all-inclusive, which is why car insurance companies also offer additional coverages that drivers can (and often should) purchase. These not only cover certain expenses on their own but they can also help pick up the slack if you reach your policy limits for one or more of your other coverages. Perhaps most important among these is uninsured motorist coverage
, which will provide an extra layer of financial assistance if you've been involved in an accident caused by someone without insurance of their own. Depending on the insurance coverage you chose and even the minimum car insurance required in your state
, your GEICO policy may also include Medical Payments (MedPay)
coverage and/or Personal Injury Protection (PIP)
which both help offset the costs of medical expenses associated with bodily injury claims. Another major out-of-pocket cost that full coverage policies don’t cover is rental cars. Unless you add on rental reimbursement coverage
to your policy, GEICO won’t cover the cost of a rental car following an accident. How to submit a car accident insurance claim to GEICO
Filing car accident claims probably isn’t on anyone’s list of fun things to do, but GEICO actually makes the process pretty easy. GEICO recommends customers file auto insurance claims either through the GEICO mobile app
or online at geico.com/claims
. However, you can also call GEICO at 1(800) 841-3000 to get your claim started. Keep in mind that calling will likely be the slowest method of filing—be prepared to spend a good bit of time on hold waiting to speak with an insurance agent. To make sure you’re ready when you make your phone call, or to ensure you have everything you need when filing electronically, make sure you have the following handy:
The location, date, and time of the accident
The names, addresses, phone numbers, and insurance policy numbers of all involved
A summary of the weather conditions when the accident occurred
Photo evidence of the scene of the accident and damage
Copies of police reports and accident reports if filed
Once you’re finished filing, you’ll be given a claim number, which you’ll need to reference if you have questions for your claims adjuster. Be sure to keep that number handy until the claim investigation is complete and you’ve received your payout.
Key Takeaway Whether you file electronically or via phone, make sure you hold onto your claim number until your claim is fully processed and closed.
MORE: How to negotiate a settlement with insurance claims adjusters
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