Making a car insurance claim with a good chance of success

So the worst has happened. There's been an accident and you have been injured. The first important issue to clarify is the time limits written into your policy. Without exception, policies say you must notify your insurer as soon as possible if you intend to make a claim. Some actually set a formal number of days as low as seven. Some policies require you to give notice if your state's laws also require notification of the accident to the police. Similarly, most policies require you to submit details of the amount lost within ninety days. If you miss either deadline, the insurer can refuse to pay out unless there is a reasonable explanation for the failure, e.g. you were in a coma and there was no one else to telephone your insurer with news of your condition. If you are not the driver at fault, you should also give notice of your claim against the other driver(s) sooner rather than later.

Remember you are responsible for preventing your losses from rising more than necessary. So, for example, if the windows are broken, you must store the vehicle where rain cannot cause further damage. Check the wording of your policy to see whether the insurer is required to authorize the expenses of towing and storage before you incur them. As to the repairs, you cannot allow the garage to begin work until the insurer has been allowed the chance to inspect the damage. If this means the vehicle must be off the road for longer than you expect, check the policy to see whether you can rent an alternate. If you proceed without the insurer's consent, you have to pay for all the work.

As to the claim itself, most insurers now allow this online. You need all the evidence you collected at the scene of the crime plus details of all the other costs and expenses incurred to date. In the case of personal injuries, you cannot give expert evidence. You should supply the name of the doctor treating you so the insurer can get a formal report on your current health and whether you will make a complete recovery. The more comprehensive the information you supply from the outset, the fewer problems you will encounter.

Under normal circumstances, the car insurance claims process goes smoothly. If you find the person allocated to deal with the claim is unreasonable, stay calm and ask to deal with someone else. You will damage your claim if you lose your temper and annoy the insurer. Your position is already under pressure because of the increasing influence of Colossus. Whether you have the most expensive or the cheapest car insurance, preserve lines of communication and stay professional. Should it become obvious you are not going to agree a settlement and a long fight may be coming, you should get car insurance quotes from competing companies to whether they will accept a transfer of your business while one claim is outstanding.