After any kind of loss, accident, or injury, you should file an insurance claim as soon as possible. If you need medical care, make sure you make that a priority. Then your next steps should be hiring an Atlanta insurance claims lawyer and filing the insurance claim.
If you are filing a claim against your own insurance policy, the policy declarations or contract likely require you to file one as soon as you are able. Waiting to file one can increase the risk of further damages and possibly decrease your financial recovery.
An insurance policy is a legal contract between the insured and the insurance carrier. When an accident occurs, the insurance company has a responsibility to fulfill their end of the agreement to take care of you.
You also have obligations that are in the cooperation clause of your policy. Typically, you are required to take part in and cooperate with any investigations involving your claim.
For instance, you have the responsibility to:
- Promptly report your accident
- Share any information necessary for the investigation of your claim
- Sign medical releases so that the insurance company can review your medical records
Not upholding your contractual obligations can result in your insurance company refusing to renew your policy. They could also raise your rates or potentially even cancel your policy.
Once you decide if you should file a first-party or third-party claim, you should report your accident to the appropriate insurer as soon as you can. These reports can be done by phone, in-person if the insurer has a local office, or through an app or their website.
One of our knowledgeable insurance claims attorneys can help you report the accident and file your claim.
First, you will need to collect related paperwork and information that you can, including the:
- Contact and insurance information for the other driver
- Police report (if not available, the insurer can make arrangements to get it directly from the responding police department)
- Names and badge numbers of any law enforcement officers that responded to the incident scene
- Witness contact information and statements, if available
- Medical reports detailing your injuries
- Notes you might have recorded about what happened before, during, and after the accident or about your injuries
