Filing a claim is not something anyone likes to do, but is the essence of carrying insurance. Knowing the process and what to expect is very important as a customer.
Claims can be filed on all insurance policies you may carry. The insurance product you are filing the claims against can dictate how the claim itself is handled. Auto and home owner’s insurance claims are the most common claims being filed today as you can imagine. With the amount of drivers and vehicles on the road today it is very important to understand the process in the event you are involved in an accident. When it comes to an auto claim, the first thing you want to do is contact the police so that they can provide a police report from an independent party. This is going to be very important in helping dictate who was at fault in the accident or in the event of a hit and run there is a statement on file. The next thing you want to do is collect the other party’s insurance information. You will want to gather the other party’s name, insurance provider and policy number. If you are the one at fault in the accident, most likely the other party will ask for that information. Once you file the claim you will be assigned a claims adjuster and they will come out and view the damage and discuss the steps of the process and getting your vehicle fixed or being paid for a total loss. Depending on the claim itself, this may all be resolved over the phone and you may just be responsible for taking your vehicle to an accredited body shop.
With home owner’s policies you would only need a police report in the event of a theft or vandalism. Outside of that, you would simply want to contact your insurance provider and discuss the damage done and after contacting your Allied Insurance Agent in making sure the coverage is carried on your policy. A claims adjuster will be assigned to your case in which they will determine if coverage falls within the guidelines of your policy. When it comes to a home owner’s claim, you want to make sure that your damage amount exceeds your deductible - otherwise you will not have access to file a claim. You also want to be cautious about filing a claim when it comes to your home due to potential risk of increasing your rate or impacting the eligibility of your policy. That is why it is always important to contact your Allied Agent so that they can guide you through the process and provide expertise on how to handle a claim.