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How can I call my insurance company after a car accident?
What is the best time to contact my agent after I have had an accident? Do I need to call them right away? Only my car is damaged, no one got hurt.
Shannon Martin · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“Ideally, you want to contact your
car insurance
agent immediately after the accident. If you are waiting for the police to show up and it is safe to do so, you can even call while you are still at the scene.The primary reason is so that the details of what happened are still fresh in your mind. Some of the questions that claim adjuster will ask are:
- What are the weather conditions?
- Was there anything obstructing your view?
- Are there any witnesses?
Some of the answers are details that most people will forget after a few days.
Another reason to
report an accident right away
is so that you can have your version of events recorded first. If the other driver reports the accident to your insurance carrier right away, and you don’t call them for a few weeks, it may look suspicious and will delay the payout of your claim. Every state and insurance company has its own rules about how long you can wait to report a claim. The type of claim can have its own time frame as well.
Liability claims
have the most extended statute of limitation of up to four years in some states. If it is a theft claim
, you may have anywhere from 1 day to 30 days to file a report.”View full answer
- Gregory R.
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