Accidents are called accidents because they’re not planned. This is why it’s necessary to get your car insured. If the accident is severe and there’s serious damage to your vehicle, you may want to use professional help by engaging an attorney.
However, if it’s a minor car accident, you can easily negotiate your claims yourself, if you know how to. When negotiating your car claims, you must bear in mind that claim adjusters may want to trick you from collecting your full rights.
This is why you must know what to say and how to counter the excuses they may want to give. Read on to find how to negotiate your claims to get your car fixed in a no-fault minor car accident.
1. Create An Official Record
If you find yourself in a minor car accident and the cause is not entirely your fault, the first thing you need to do is to create an official record of the accident. Creating an official record of the accident can help you when claims for a car fix.
You can create an official record by placing a call to 911. A 911 call is a stitch in time that can save your nine; it could serve as a piece of evidence for your claim.
2. Take Instant Pictures
Aside from a 911 call, one other thing you can do to build your case effectively and have a chance at winning is to take pictures. It doesn’t matter at this stage that the accident is minor, or that you are not at fault, the most important thing is to have pictorial evidence of the accident before the scene is cleaned out and changed forever.
Fortunately, you don’t need to call professional photographers to help you with this. You can easily use your mobile phone to document the scene of the accident. Aside from being a solid piece of evidence for your claim, it’s also easier to explain your case with pictures than with mere words of mouth.
3. Contact Your Insurance Company
To bolster your claims, you should also place a call to your insurance company immediately after the accident. Postponing the call to your insurance company can cause a delay in getting your car fixed or even the complete forfeiture of your car insurance rights.
Once you contact your insurance company, they’ll evaluate the accidents and the damage done to the car. This assessment will be used to determine how much you’ll be paid to get your vehicle fixed. It could also influence how fast the process will take.
4. Get The Real Value Of Your Car
The amount you’ll probably get to fix your car is directly proportional to the car’s value and the damage caused by the accident. So, you need to find out the exact worth of your vehicle to help the negotiation of your claim.
The best way to know the real value of your car is to contact your car dealer. Preferably your trusted mechanic, the one that assisted you in getting the car in the first place.
A good car dealer should be able to tell you the worth of the car. To further confirm the information that you got from the dealer, you can check with some other car dealers and find their average or check online.
Knowing your car’s actual worth can help you know if your claim adjuster is playing on your ignorance or treating you fairly.
5. Get Familiar With Some Insurance Companies Vocabulary
If you’re not hiring an attorney to help you claim your rights, one of the things you can do to help your case is to familiarize yourself with some insurance words. This will help you to understand the language of your claim adjuster. It’ll also assist you to easily spot any legal loophole they may want to take advantage of.
Most importantly, it’ll help you communicate effectively and professionally with the claim adjuster. Your understanding of some basic insurance vocabulary will help your claim case and can ensure success and speed.
Conclusion
With a minor accident, you’ll need your car to be back on the road quickly, and knowing what to do can ensure that your insurance company takes care of the costs of fixing your vehicle.
As soon as you get involved in a minor accident, create an official record, take instant pictures, and contact your insurance company. To fully equip yourself for the negotiation, make sure you get the value of your car and familiarize yourself with common insurance terms.
Doing these can give you an edge in the negotiations and guarantee that you get your fix as soon as possible.
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