How To Make An Insurance Claim Against Someone Else

Just last week while sitting at a light, another car ran the light and hit another car.  It was scary because the driver never hit her brakes. I am sure she was distracted.  As a witness to the accident, I got out the car to help.  With the drama of the accident and it being the first for both of them, they didn’t know what to do like most of the $4 million crashes reported by the police annually.   I will give you the advice I gave the two young ladies;

It’s not about you being a safe driver; not every one of the 227.5 million drivers in the United States drives safely. Regardless of how cautious you are, with an excellent driving record, you still run the risk of being in an accident. 

Not to worry, the beauty of auto insurance is that it’s meant to protect you whether you are at fault or someone else is. The at-fault driver’s insurer is expected to cover your repairs, damages, and medical expenses; this is known as third-party insurance. 

In simple terms, you are a third party to the at-fault driver and their insurer. When an accident occurs, the at-fault driver is expected to cover the cost of damage and injury. You should expect the insurer to investigate the accident to ensure that their policyholder was truly at fault. 

What To Do At The Scene of The Accident

Filing a third-party insurance claim will be stress-free if you follow these tips; 

Stay Calm and Get Help

Depending on the seriousness of the accident, you might want to call 911 and get the necessary medical help. You should then try to move your vehicle to a safe location; if it’s not totaled and can still move. 

Please don’t assume it’s a minor accident, and you don’t need to involve the police. 

Limit Your Conversation

Limit your conversation to avoid taking on fault .  A simple I am sorry can be seen as admitting fault when it hasn’t been determined yet.  This could change the entire narrative even if you are not at fault. 

When police arrive, wait to tell your version to the officer.  When the claims process is started, discuss with the adjusters. 

Gather All The Information You Need to File a Claim

My first advice to everyone is to take pictures of the accident site before anyone moves their vehicles.  I always joke that we used our phones for every other moment in life including good food but forget it during accidents.  A picture says a thousand words.  It would be best to get the name, address, policy number and phone number of all parties involved

Try to put down the details of the events, the order, weather, location and condition of the other driver. 

Notify The Right People and Companies Involved

As part of the build-up to filing a third-party insurance claim, you need to get the right people and companies involved. Top of the list should be your own insurance company; get them in the know about the situation of things. 

This is after you must have contacted first responders and the police. 

File The Insurance Claims Immediately

You are better off filing the claims immediately when the incident is still fresh in your mind. Don’t be tempted to handle things off the record; there’s always a risk of being sued by the at-fault driver at a later time. 

Since you’ve established that the other driver is at fault, file a third-party claim with their insurer. Your insurer will have to relate directly with the at-fault driver’s insurer to sort out the claims including any witnesses to the accident.