If you have been in a car accident or if you need to file a claim then you may be confused about who you should call. Do you contact the broker that sold you the policy, the insurance customer service line, the 24 hour help line or someone else? This will depend on the company that you have insured under.

Contacting your Claims Representative

There are a number of different ways to make a claim after you have been in a car accident. If you have insured with a small provider they may have the same number for sales, marketing and claims. If you have insured with a larger company there is a good chance that the sales and marketing department will be completely different than the car accident insurance claims process. However, if you are ever in doubt, you can contact the 24 hour help line or even the sales team and they can redirect you to the right place.

To find out how to make a claim you can check your insurance provider's website which will have a list of all the contact numbers and can direct you to the right place. They should also have a link to take you to an online claims sheet if they have this option. You can also find the details of where to make a claim and who to call listed on your car insurance policy. You may wish to highlight the numbers as soon as the policy comes in the mail for easy retrieval if you ever need to claim.

Making a Claim Online

Another way to claim is online. Many companies will now offer a user-friendly online claims questionnaire that you can fill out at home. Once you have answered the questions as best as possible then a representative will contact you, at the time that suits you. That way you can be prepared to give more details and you eliminate the need to be on the phone for hours relaying your details to a claims representative. They will have all your details and will contact you if they need anything else.

Many people prefer the online claims process as it is much more intrusive. Furthermore, after an accident you may wish to relive the accident on your own terms. Doing so online allows you to take a break when you need to, make a cuppa and pause to interact with your children without feeling like you are being interrogated on the phone. However, you can still expect to need to speak to someone over the phone, even with an online claims process.

In general, regardless of how you choose to make a claim, you can expect to need to give similar information. Have your name, address, phone number and policy number on hand. Try to remember as much as possible about the scene of the accident including the time, date and place where the incident occurred, the names and policy numbers of the other driver's involved, the name and badge number of the officer on the scene and the names and numbers of any witnesses to the accident.

It can be a little overwhelming reliving this experience, especially if the event resulted in a serious injury or fatality. However, car insurance claims representatives are trained to help you through this process and understand that this may be a traumatic thing to go through again. Take your time and try to remember as much as you can. The more information you have for your representative, the more accurate your compensation will be.