There is never a good time for getting yourself into an accident, be it on your way to work or driving on a road trip- it happens anytime and possibly anywhere. But irrespective of who is at fault there are certain things that need to be taken care of- and quick!
For starters, getting medical attention to those who are injured is the number one priority. This includes all bystanders, pedestrians and the occupants of your car and the colliding vehicle. But the real reason you clicked on this is to know how much do you have to file an accident claim? What are the time-related constraints that you have?
Let us tackle these.
Should You Report The Accident?
There are instances where the damage to you or your vehicle is minute and it really isn’t worth the effort, the paperwork or the time and money to run behind a rather lost cause. Your insurer can be notified and it can be considered as an insurance deductible. The insurer can decide to increase the rates after such a report is filed by you- if you have prior claims then premium hikes are predictable.
Since you are liable and held accountable for any damage that is caused to another’s property, you will want to contact your insurance agency. Even if you are not accountable and it isn’t your fault, it would be better if you contacted them.
How Long Do You Have?
The short answer would be- As soon as possible.
There isn’t a perfect weather for you to be filing a claim or reporting an accident. If it is possible, you can report it on the scene. Even if it’s a single vehicle accident, and you are unsure to call, you would want to read through the policy and make sure that you make an informed decision once you are home.
There are certain insurance agencies that require their policyholder to file for claims within a certain period of time once the accident has occurred. What these are, depends on policy to policy, and you may have to check with yours. You can contact your insurance agent for further information.
If you are in a need to get compensation or your insurance agency is giving you a hard time, then It would be wise to get an accident lawyer or an accident attorney to guide you. They can put up your case in the courtroom better than anyone.