An accident! What should I do?
Whether you’re driving on a major highway like 217 or pulling through a parking lot at Fred Meyer, being in an accident can be unnerving and disorienting. Having good insurance goes a long way to helping the process of recovery along, but it is a process that takes some attention and time. Here are some suggestions as you go through the process.
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At the Scene of the Accident
1. Be Safe
Do what you need to do to make sure you and your passengers are safe from other traffic. Aid the injured and call 9-1-1 if needed.
2. Notify the police
Notifying the policies is a good idea. This is especially the case if there are any injuries, if damage to any vehicle appears to be over $2,500, or if any vehicle is towed from the scene (use the non-emergency number if you’re not in an emergency situation.).
They’ll come and write up a basic accident report.
3. Exchange information with the other driver.
- Name
- Phone number
- Address
- Insurance info: carrier and policy number
- Their license plate
4. Gather any witness contact information.
By Oregon law (ORS 811.715), witnesses are required to stop and offer contact information.
Even if it seems like a simple accident, gather witness information. Insurance companies are usually pretty good at sorting through the details. However, sometimes drivers disagree about what happened. Sometimes drivers misremember. Sometimes they lie.
That’s why having a 3rd party witness account can help establish what happened.
5. Take a few photos (safely!).
Simply walk around and take a few photos of the damage on both cars and the general scene if you can do so safely.
After the Accident
1. File an Accident Report
Here in Oregon you have 72 hours to file the report with the DMV.
In general, if there were injuries or are likely over $2,500 of damages, Oregon law requires you to file a report.
2. File a claim with an insurance company,
If you’re unsure who to call, contact your insurance agent.
Here’s a list of claims contacts for our carriers, but you can usually find claims contact info by searching online and it’s best if you have your policy number handy.
Tips for how to go through an auto insurance claim:
Filing a car insurance claim can involve a lot of details and people. Even a simple claim like a side-view mirror can involve both drivers, claim reps from both insurance companies, the repair shop or shops, an adjuster, and a rental car provider.
Here are a few tips for going through a claim.
If you’ve sustained injuries, seek medical attention and tell it to the insurer.
This is important for your own recovery and for documenting how an accident may have lead to the injury. It is not unusual to take a few days to fully feel the injuries, but if you ignore them and don’t seek medical attention you may slow your recovery and there will be no medical record should you want to seek coverage later.
Keep it professional and courteous.
This can be hard under stress when there are a lot of details, but remember that the claims reps and adjusters are people too, trying to do their job to help. Claim representatives may be newer, may be having an off day just like we all can, and occasionally, they’re wrong or should double-check something. So don’t be afraid to ask for further explanation.
Know that you can say, “I’m sorry I’m just not quite understanding your explanation, can I speak with a supervisor?”
If you want to run your thoughts by someone, call your agent.
If you have questions, ask.
Whether you’re talking to the adjuster, the repair shop, or the claim representative, they should be able to help you understand the process and answer your questions. If you sense that the person you’re speaking with is unsure or unclear, ask for further explanation. If that doesn’t make sense, kindly request to speak with a supervisor.
Make Notes.
This doesn’t have to be complicated and can be as easy as emailing yourself a simple summary of the conversation. That way if any dispute arises, if you’re working with different people on the same claim, you have your own record to help make sense of things.
Find a repair shop with a good reputation.
You can take your car to any repair facility you want here in Oregon.
Oregon law (ORS 746.280) declares that you the insured have a right to select a “motor vehicle repair shop of your choice.”
Insurers may recommend a shop to you.
Insurers typically do have a network of preferred repair shops that they’ll recommend.
To become a preferred repair shop, a repair shop usually needs to meet certain standards of care, pricing, organization, and timeliness for clients. In turn, the shop often receives quicker response times from insurers because their systems and processes work together better.
Although such relationships can provide some real benefits for consumers, there are plenty of good repair shops that are not on the insurance company’s preferred list.
The most important thing is that you work with a good, reputable repair shop.
Ask around. Check online reviews. Double-check at the Better Business Bureau. You want a shop that is responsive, prompt, and will stand behind its work.
Ask the repair shop how long it will take to complete repairs. Some places here in the Portland Metro area may take months to repair your car depending on parts or their own backlog.
Ask the repair shop if they have good experience repairing your type of car, especially if you have a more unique model.
Know that it’s not unusual for claims to be adjusted.
It’s important to remember that at the beginning of a claim no one knows all of the information.
For instance, for any injuries, it takes time –and sometimes many visits– to consult with doctors and see how the healing goes. Or for any car damage, repair shops and adjustors often don’t get a full view of the damage until they begin taking things apart.
This is why insurers hire “adjustors,” who can adjust the claim amounts to ensure injuries or repairs from an accident can be fixed correctly.
Don’t sign off on a claim until you are ready.
Insurance companies will ask you to sign a release confirming that you’re content with the work they’ve done on your behalf. Kind of like the end of a kitchen model or car repair, this is a regular part of the process, BUT . . .
If you do have outstanding concerns that have not been addressed (injury concerns, additional repairs needed, etc.), communicate those to the company.
Know that insurance fraud is real.
Why do we include this? Well, the amount of details that need to be confirmed during the claims process can be frustrating sometimes. But there is an important reason so much verification is needed. Insurance fraud.
There are bad actors out there who will lie and cheat to take advantage of the claims system, and it ends up costing us all more. That is one key reason for so many questions and confirmations. There is insurance fraud.
For example, some people or repair shops may try to get repairs included that have nothing to do with the accident. Or, on the flip side, an insurance company may try to avoid paying what they are obligated to pay in their policy.
The FBI estimates that there is more than $40 billion in insurance fraud in the US and it raises insurance premiums for an average family by $400-$700 . . . and so insurance companies are on the lookout for fraud. (For more, go to the Coalition Against Insurance Fraud.)
The point isn’t to be super suspicious and think that everyone is trying to defraud everybody. Insurance companies, clients, and repair shops resolve a vast, vast majority of claims without a hitch. The point is to simply to underscore one reason for questions and verifications.
Meanwhile, don’t be afraid to ask questions and seek clarifications along the way.
Important questions to ask:
Is my car safe to drive?
If your car was damaged, you don’t want to be stuck driving an unsafe car; so if you’re unsure, ask.
If it is unsafe, don’t be afraid to tell your insurance claims rep that you don’t feel safe driving it.
Do I have rental reimbursement coverage?
This will let you know if your insurance carrier can help provide a replacement rental vehicle.
What is the next step?
Yes, it is a process, and the claim representatives, adjustors, and repair shops should be able to give you a clear sense of the next step.
How long until . . . ?
Whether dealing with a repair shop, claims representatives, or adjusters, ask each person how long they estimate that next step will take.
Between supply chain issues and inflation and labor shortages at repair shops, don’t be surprised if a repair ends up taking significantly longer. At least you’ll have an idea.