When you file a claim with a company, the claims department will assign you a ‘claims adjuster’ for your case. A claims adjuster is the person responsible for investigating, evaluating, and settling the claim. He/she must determine the causes of the loss, whether the loss is covered by the underlying policy, the monetary value of the loss, and the amount of the loss to be paid by the company under the policy. During the claim adjustment process, the adjuster may need to interview the claimant and others, take pictures of the accident, review police records, request estimates, etc.
Once you file your claim, the insurance company is required by law to respond to you within a specified number of business days (in Illinois it’s 21) from when you filed your claim. You are required to provide the insurance company with certain documents upon request, such as affidavits, police reports, medical bills, repair bills, bills of sale, titles, etc.
You are not required to use the repair shop suggested by the company. However, if your repair shop is charging more than the company’s suggested shop, you may have to pay the difference out of pocket. If there is existing damage to the vehicle, your insurance company can deduct an unlimited amount from the value if your vehicle has old, unrepaired collision damage and they don’t have to pay for “upgrading” your vehicle (for example, new muffler or New tires.)
You don’t have to accept replacement parts for accidents. Although insurance companies are not required to use original equipment manufacturer (OEM) replacement parts, such as GM or Ford, you have the final say as to which parts will be used to repair your vehicle. In case your company wants to use non-OEM parts and ask for more expensive OEM parts, you may have to pay the difference.
Handling a claim can be an easy experience if you focus on your responsibilities in a claim and your rights. Always document your communication with the claims departments by faxing, certified mail, email, rather than leaving messages and verbal communication.
