Demystifying the Accident Reporting Process: What Actually Happens When You Report an Accident
There’s nothing more intimidating than reporting an accident! You are bombarded with paperwork, phone calls and negotiations. What happens behind the scenes, though? Let’s take a look.
So, you call in an accident – and you set in motion a very loud chain reaction! A whole load of wheels start spinning, and you suddenly find yourself involved in an insurance jargon hell. The process might sound complicated, but if you know what’s coming, you can relax: This Is How…
The first thing you do is that you call your insurance company, right? You call their claims hotline sitting on your dashboard, listen to the kind voice at the other end, and give them as much information about your accident as you possibly can: where, when, and how!
Then, your insurance adjuster swoops in as a modern-day saviour! She discusses your accident, first-hand, she investigates the scene and collects evidence, and she inspects and assesses the damage to your vehicle. Finally, she decides whether you are liable for causing the accident or not, then she provides an estimate for the cost of repairing your vehicle.
At the same time, you’re feeling emotions like positive relief for reporting the accident but negative anxiety because of concerns over whether your insurance will cover damages, who’s at fault, and what others will think.
As the days drag by, you wait with bated breath to see how things develop … your insurance adjuster diligently investigates the case, turning over every stone to reach the fairest possible agreement … but you just can’t wait!
Then, the weigh-in: your insurance adjuster reveals their assessment of liability and your repair estimates! You’re over the moon! Relief awaits!
Not only will you have to shell out time and money paying for the damages, irresponsible driving behavior can greatly increase your insurance premiums if you are found at-fault! The ripple effect of a traffic accident is significant.
And, on the flip side, if you’re not at fault, you might be eligible for damages! Your insurer might pursue recovery from the other person’s insurer and you won’t have to pay anything.
You go through it at the end and it’s like, ‘Oh my God, reporting an accident – it’s a maze! It’s so uncertain and filled with obstacles.’ Someone might have been killed – how do you report that? Someone might have been hurt – how do you describe that? But there’s a way out of the maze. It’s actually there and it gives you an opening. I kept saying to myself, ‘Oh my God, I’ve just had an accident: but the support and making sense of what happened enabled me to get out of this maze’.
