Proper preparation sets the tone for success. With Texas auto insurance this statement couldn’t be any more true. Importantly, if there’s one thing we have learned over the years, it’s that you can never be too prepared or collect too much information when it comes to claims and accidents.
In addition, after years in the insurance industry, we have dealt with more car insurance claims than we can count. Most claims are small, some are uncomfortably big, and others are life-changing. We’ve witnessed cut-and-dried claims that are closed within a week, and we’ve seen claims that draw out for months.
Importance of Accident Details for Texas Auto Insurance
Above all, your Texas auto insurance adjuster will have a lot to do with how efficiently your claim gets handled, but you must understand that you serve an important role in your claim process, too. You can make or break the outcome of your claim.
Depending on the situation and nature of the car accident, the other party may not be willing to comply with the claims process. Both of your insurance companies will need as much information as possible to unfold what actually happened at the scene.
Moreover, if you don’t have the necessary information and proof to back up your side of the story, then you can be left at a standstill, or worse, the other party may have an advantage if they have more documentation and proof than you do.
What Info to Collect After an Accident
You get one shot to document and detail everything that happened in the accident. It’s best you document as soon as possible to ensure the details are fresh on your mind. The likelihood that you will be rattled after the accident is high. Download our free infographic “What To Do In Case of an Auto Accident” to help you.
Information to Collect:
- Full name, address, and phone number of the other party/driver involved
- The other party’s Texas auto insurance company name and policy number (a picture of their auto ID card would be great – make sure it’s active/valid)
- Their driver’s license number and license plate number (get photos of these if at all possible)
- Make, model, and color of all vehicles involved in the accident
- Location (address and business name if applicable), time, and date of the accident
- Photos of your car, their car, any and all other damaged property or bodily injury
- Name and contact number of any passengers in your vehicle and the other party’s vehicle
- Name and contact number for any witnesses that saw the accident happen and businesses with video cameras that may have caught the accident on video
- Copy of the crash report and names of any responding officers to the accident
- Your statement of what happened
After that, if there are any other details that would be helpful to your case, then note it, document it, and keep it for future use. You can never have enough evidence that supports your side of the story.
Print out the list of information to collect. Keep it in your glove box so that you don’t have to attempt to remember what you need to gather.
Texas auto insurance adjusters will use all of the information to determine who is at fault and how they must proceed with the claim.
What If I Am Not Able to Collect All of the Info?
Unfortunately, there is no guarantee that you will be able to collect all of the information on the list. The other party may not comply or they may leave the scene. It should be noted, when you buy a Texas auto insurance policy, you have the option to add coverage for the specific instance of a hit-and-run.
We hope this doesn’t happen, but as insurance agency owner’s who have dealt first hand with falling victim to a hit-and-run, we know it happens more often than you’d like to imagine.
Collect as much of the info as you can. Include what the person/s look like, and be sure to call the police. Read our blog, “Car Insurance Claim Process Tips: Lessons Learned from Agent’s Nightmare,” that we wrote to help you better learn from our own mistakes during our hit-and-run claim process.
Consider Your Texas Auto Insurance Agent
It’s easy to overlook how important collecting info and documenting the claim process is. A lot of the time, you don’t truly understand the headache it can save you until you go through it yourself.
Consider the Texas auto insurance agent you have now. Are they providing you with the helpful and necessary information? Does your agent have your back when it comes to difficult questions and situations? Will they go to bat for you if you have any disagreements throughout your claim process? Important questions need good answers.
Give us a call if you need an agent that will be in your corner. We will provide you with solutions to best resolve your insurance needs.
