How to File a Car Insurance Claim in 4 Simple Steps

When you get into a car accident, there are a lot of things that will go through your mind. You’ll likely be worried about the safety of everyone involved, the extent of the damage to your vehicle, how you'll get to work tomorrow, and all the other ways your life may be impacted.

And on TOP of all of those things, there’s insurance. Filing an auto insurance claim is one of your first steps to get life back on track after an accident. At Clearcover, we understand how overwhelming the situation can be, which is why we're committed to keeping it simple and easy. In this article, we're going to explain how to file a car insurance claim in 4 simple steps.

A Word on Coverage Options

Before we dive in on the steps to take to open an insurance claim, it’ll help to understand the coverages you may or may not have. This way you’ll know whether your insurance covers the accident you’ve been in.

Liability coverage - This is a core component of an insurance policy. This doesn’t cover you, it covers the other party when you are determined at fault in an accident. It pays to repair or replace their vehicle, their medical expenses if they’re injured, and damage to property other than their vehicle.

First Party Injury Coverage - Claims under this category involve an injury that you, the insured, sustain during an accident or a covered loss. Your First Party Injury insurance includes coverages such as First Party Benefits (FPB), Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Medical Payments Coverage (MedPay), or Uninsured Motorist Coverage (UM).

Collision coverage - This insurance, which is subject to a deductible, covers the cost to repair or replace your vehicle after a collision. When your vehicle is damaged in a collision, whether it be when you are at fault after colliding with another vehicle, or if you’re in an accident that doesn’t involve another car, you’ll rely on collision coverage extended by your insurance company, if you included it in your policy. If you’re in a collision where a different driver was at fault and had insurance, you would be covered under their liability coverage.

Comprehensive coverage - When your vehicle is damaged by something other than collision, your comprehensive coverage covers the cost of repair or replacement. A few claim examples would be hail, fire, theft, or vandalism. Like collision, comprehensive coverage is subject to a deductible.

The 4-Step Car Insurance Claims Process

In the event of a car accident, it's crucial you know what to do, how to do it, and when. Once you've ensured everyone is safe from harm (here’s what to do immediately following an accident), it's time to open your car insurance claim.

Unfortunately, it can be common to expect a long and complicated journey to get your vehicle back in tip-top shape after you notify your insurance carrier of your claim. However, it can be smooth sailing... if you know what to do.

Here are four simple steps to filing a car insurance claim.

1) Contact Your Insurance Provider ASAP

Notifying your insurance company of the accident is your first step in filing an insurance claim. This begins the process and allows your insurers to provide you with instruction and insight into your next steps.

When you contact your provider, it is helpful to know what information they're likely to request from you. In general, the more comprehensive and thorough information you provide when you open your claim, the easier the process will be. You should be prepared to share anything pertinent to the accident, but here's some information you should have readily available that will cover the basics:

Location, date, and time of the accident

Name, address, phone number, and insurance policy number for all involved
Weather condition
Photos of incident
Copy of police report

Are you curious why it's so important to file your claim quickly?

Some injuries or damage to your vehicle might not be apparent at first. By notifying your insurance company of an accident right when it happens, you can be more confident they’ll be able to connect the resulting damage to the accident.

Pro Tip: Use Your Insurance Mobile App

Gone are the days of having to make multiple calls to your insurance company and spend hours on the phone to work through even the simplest of insurance claims. With the Clearcover app—and some apps from other insurance companies—you can file an insurance claim from your phone in minutes.

Claims can be paid faster today than ever.

Do you know Clearcover's current record for paying a claim?

7 minutes. (Yes, we're serious!)

How was it done?

With Clear Claims™, machine learning instantly validates coverage and determines eligibility for expedited payment, allowing us to deliver among the fastest claims resolution in the car insurance industry.

Most straightforward claims are paid within a week after filing for the initial estimate, and the simplest claims can be eligible for same-day processing.

2) File a Police Report

In the event of an accident, it is a good idea to file a police report. When you file a police report, it can help your insurance company process your claim faster, as they'll have additional information to assess the situation. Plus, when you file a police report, much of the information they'll gather for their report will also be helpful for the claims process.

If the police determine it isn't necessary to have an officer come to the scene, you can file a desk report or complete a report online instead. Your local police department will be able to guide you through the process. The report you file can help the claims process and future communication with the other driver and their insurance company.

3) Wait for an Estimate, Then Work with a Claims Representative

This next step can look a bit different depending on your insurance carrier.

Some insurance companies may schedule a time for a claims representative to come out and look at your car. They may come to your home (or wherever your vehicle may be) to assess the damage to your car, review the details of the accident to determine fault, research how much it will cost to fix and recommend a facility to repair the vehicle. You'll receive an estimate from the representative and can work with them in the event that their estimate doesn't quite match what the repair facility quotes you.

At Clearcover, we're all about simplifying insurance.

Rather than sending someone to your home, you will be assigned a claims representative who will serve as your go-to person and see each claim through, from filing to funding—all virtually!

With Clearcover, after you file a claim, your claims representative will send your photos and claim details to a Virtual damage evaluator to create an estimate for repairs. You don’t have to worry about scheduling any appointments or coordinating in-person meetings. The damage evaluator will provide a copy of your estimate to you, the claims representative, and the repair shop if your vehicle is already there. If the mechanic finds any additional damage while working on your vehicle, they'll communicate directly with your claims representative, keeping any extra stress or hassle off your plate.

Whenever you have questions or need clarification on any step of the claims process, help is just a tap away. Every step of the process—from filing your claim to communicating with your claims representative—can be completed within the Clearcover app.

Pro Tip: Be Honest with Your Claims Representative

Car accidents can happen fast and bring out a lot of emotion. When you're sharing the details of the accident with your claims representative, stick to the facts. If you're not sure of something—like how fast the other driver was going—don't guess. Instead, let them know what you know for sure and what you don't. The more honest and transparent you are with your claims representative, the better (and faster) they can help.

4) Send Your Car in for Repairs

Once you've opened your claim, filed a police report, and are working with a claims representative, you can start to work on getting back on the road!

After you receive your estimate, it's time to take your vehicle to the car repair shop. If your vehicle cannot be driven, many policies include roadside protection which can cover the cost to tow the vehicle for you.

The shop will communicate with you and, if necessary, the insurance company to provide updates on the work they're doing to your vehicle. In the meantime, depending on your policy, you may have Alternate Transportation Coverage you can use to get around while your vehicle is out of commission. When you have Alternate Transportation Coverage with Clearcover, in the event of a covered loss, Clearcover will give you money so that you can decide how to get around – whether that's through carpooling, using ridesharing services (including Uber credits), taking public transportation, or renting a car from a company of your choice.

Once your car is ready, make sure you receive an invoice from the repair facility for your records, as the insurance company may request this.

Look over the invoice to confirm that they've documented their work and provided a clear summary of charges both for parts and labor. This helps you ensure your insurance company covers any appropriate costs. Depending on the circumstance, some providers may issue payment to the repair shop, while others may provide the funds to you to cover the repairs directly.

Pro Tip: Shop Around For the Best Repair Shop

We all love to save a few dollars, but when you're getting your vehicle repaired after an accident, your insurance will help cover the cost of repairs, so there’s no need to cut corners. It’s important to choose a reputable mechanic. With that peace of mind, you can make sure you bring your vehicle to a quality repair shop that will get the job done right.

Get Reliable Car Insurance Coverage From Clearcover

If you're looking for car insurance that will provide you with great coverage and a fast, hassle-free claims process, Clearcover's got you covered.

With Clear Claims™, our tech starts working the instant you file your claim and allows us to offer among the fastest claims resolution in the industry. When you initiate a claim, our tech starts working on your car insurance claim instantly so you can get paid as fast as possible.

Learn more about our lightning-fast claims process and how you can manage it all, right in your Clearcover app. Make your life easier by switching to Clearcover. Take control of your coverage and see what you can save now.