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How long do you have to make a claim on car insurance?
How long can you wait before making a car insurance claim? My brother and I were just in an accident. We know we need to file a claim soon, but we feel pretty rattled right now...
Joshua Levy · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“Car accidents—no matter how small—can be traumatic experiences. You’ll probably feel like you need some time, but you should try to file your claim as soon as possible. The longer you wait to file a claim, the more likely your insurance provider will deny it.
While that might sound harsh, waiting too long will make it harder for claim adjusters to tell what damage resulted from that specific accident. So, the rule of thumb is to file your claim as soon as you can.
That being said, most insurance companies will specify a timeframe in which you must
file your claim
for it to be considered. Stipulations vary drastically from provider to provider.Some may give you up to a few years to file your claim, while others may give you up to 30 days. If you don’t know how long you have, it may be worthwhile to call your provider and ask them about their rules.
If you feel like their policies don’t align with your needs, try using the
Jerry app
to explore other options. Jerry can provide you with competitive quotes in under a minute, and swapping is just as effortless. A licensed broker, Jerry will take care of all the paperwork and phone calls and even assist in canceling your old policy!”View full answer
- Gregory R.
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Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
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