You may be wondering how long it takes after an auto accident to file your claim with insurance providers if you are involved in one, and this can vary depending on the severity of what happened.
For minor accidents, it may take just a few days to file your claim and get reimbursed for any property damage done or medical bills incurred as long as there is proper documentation available. For more serious injuries requiring follow-up care with doctors, you will need to give insurers at least two to three years to process your claim.
Having Idaho Car Accident Lawyers on your side is essential. They will help you know when and how to file a claim and ensure you get well compensated after a car accident.
How to File a Claim
To file an auto accident claim, you need to call your insurance provider. If the accident is serious, be sure to have someone stay with you at all times during this process. You will then fill out an official report of what happened and give them:
- Medical bills.
- Crash receipts for any property damage incurred by either party involved in the collision.
- If there is damage to your car, you must provide the insurance company with pictures of it.
Your insurer will then send someone out to inspect what happened, and they may also take photos or videos. They’ll also talk to any witnesses who saw the accident before settling on whether or not you can claim after an auto accident.
For more serious injuries, the insurer will send you to a doctor of their choosing, and they’ll help pay for your medical bills. They may offer compensation within seven days after the accident, although this timeline could vary depending on state law.
What You Need to do Before Filing an Insurance Claim
It would help if you did a few things before calling your insurance company to file an auto accident claim.
The most important thing is that you call the police after any car crash, no matter how minor it seems at first. Even if there’s only cosmetic damage done to both cars or one vehicle was towed away with little trouble, still, make sure you call the police. It will help protect your interests if anything happens after an accident, like someone else trying to claim you.
You should also try to find out who was at fault for the crash or if it was simply an unavoidable situation. If this information is unknown, the insurance company will likely put you in touch with their accident investigation team to find out what happened. They may contact other drivers involved, review police reports, and talk to witnesses before deciding their claim.
Keep a log of medical bills and receipts for property damage. You should also take pictures or videos of the accident scene to help document what happened if there is any confusion later on about who was at fault.
How long it takes to claim after an auto accident depends on many factors. If the injuries you sustained were minor and there was no other property damage done, then this process should be relatively short as long as you file your insurance claim right away. However, if more serious injuries are involved or, extensive vehicle damages occur, the process may take longer.
