4 Tips for Better Car Insurance Claims Settlement

For most of us, we don’t even know what “Car Insurance Claims Settlement” means. What this basically means is that you have to negotiate for claims that you make against the other party’s insurance company. Most of the time the claims settlement process will be done by your insurance company however sometimes the insurance claim is small and you don’t want to lose your “no claim bonus” so you might have to claim against the insurance company yourself.

The first thing to do is to comply with the insurance adjuster’s request for information. They will often require a whole cabinet full of documentation and you should provide what he is looking for. Complying with this is your best option as it will allow the process to move much smoother. The first offer will normally be done by the insurance adjuster. This amount is normally low in expectation that you will write a “demand order” for full payment where the adjuster will have no choice but to offer a counter–offer that is revised upwards.

Whatever it is, this is a process where most people are not familiar with. Most people think that insurance adjusters are there to intimidate you to accepting a lower settlement amount. It isn’t true as most of these people are executives that are simply following the process set-out by the company’s policies. With the right knowledge and preparation you will find that settlement of your car insurance claims is easier than you thought. Follow the 4 following tips to get the most out of your car insurance settlement.

1). Take photos of the accident and the scene. It used to be nearly impossible to get a camera on the scene quickly but these days almost everyone has a camera phone. You should take pictures of your car, any fluids that show any crash pattern, street conditions, weather conditions and anything that you think will help you with your claim. Remember that pictures are always worth a thousand words.

2). Take notes and also pictures of injuries that you received yourself. Take close-up pictures and distance shots. You will find that some bruises will not develop until a day later so you will have to keep track of them. If you needed a visit to the hospital, take pictures of the drugs and what the doctor had to say about the injuries. If you needed stitches, take a picture of the wound before the stitching and one after.

3). Always obtain detailed notes from your doctor or from the hospital. It is normal practice for medical practitioners to take detailed notes about patients before treatment to save them from any suet. These notes are extremely important if you intend to claim medical expenses. Just be sure that the report is either typed or that the doctor has good handwriting. I’ve seen many cases where illegible handwriting has causes an insurance to lower its settlement just because one line can’t be deciphered.

4). The best way to deal with your insurance adjuster is to know exactly what they are looking for. You will find that every state has its own specialized laws and insurance regulations. To negotiate with the adjuster appropriately you need to know what they are looking for. Generally, the best way to deal with them is to get all the documents you have and lay it out in front of you when negotiating. This way there is no way that the adjuster can lower the claim if everything is well documented.

It is quite often that insurance companies will only pay out for claims which have black and white to justify them. If you have any claims that can’t be justified by the documents, insurance companies will normally just strike them out. This is the exact reason why it is vital to be organized with your information. Be sure to give all the information that you have to the insurance company.