Key points

• You can typically file a car insurance claim over the phone, in person, online or through your car insurance company’s mobile app.
• How long it takes to receive a claim payout can depend on the severity of the accident, the state where you live and your car insurance company.
• Filing a car insurance claim may result in a future rate increase.

More than 6.1 million vehicles were involved in reported crashes in 2021 alone, with 0.7% of those car accidents resulting in fatalities. Even if you consider yourself a safe driver, there’s always a chance that you won’t see a car coming when merging or miss a stop sign — and there’s no guarantee that other drivers have the same level of attention.

If you’re involved in a car accident, or your vehicle is damaged by a covered problem or stolen, it’s important to know how to make a car insurance claim and what to expect from the claims process.

Steps to file a car insurance claim

Here’s how to file a car insurance claim in six steps. 

Ensure safety if you’re in a car accident

If you’re involved in a car accident, protecting yourself and your passengers against further injury and more damage to your car is a priority. Turn on your hazard lights and, if possible, move your car to the side of the road. Call the police or emergency services, especially if there are injuries. 

If you’re able, check on the other driver and passengers to see if you can offer any assistance for their injuries. Try not to move any injured person to reduce the risk of additional injury, unless they are in harm’s way.

Gather information and evidence for the car insurance claim

When it comes time to file a claim, your car insurance company will ask for specific information. Gathering these details onsite and documenting what happened at the time of the accident can help you file a successful claim, so try to keep calm and stay put until you have everything you need. Documentation to collect includes:

• Insurance information from the other driver (or drivers) as well as their driver’s license numbers, name, address and phone number.
• Names of any passengers.
• Police or accident reports, if taken.
• Photographs of your car, the other driver’s car and any surrounding damages.
• Detailed notes on how the accident happened, including location, weather, traffic density and road condition.
• Contact information for any witnesses, including police or emergency medical services professionals.

Contact your auto insurance company 

Whether you plan to file a claim on the phone, online or using your insurer’s app, it’s important to give your car insurance company a heads-up that you’ve been in an accident.

Auto insurance policies specifically state under the section entitled “Duties after an accident or loss” that you must notify the insurance company promptly after a loss for the insurance contract to apply. Your car insurance company can also give you insight on how and if you’re covered.

Depending on your auto insurance company, state and the type of claim you’re filing, you may have a time limit for when you need to file the claim. For instance, in New York, you have 30 days to report an injury claim after a car accident.

Start the car insurance claims process

With most major car insurance companies, you can file a claim over the phone, online, in person or through a mobile app. You’ll need to submit all the information you gathered following the accident. The more evidence you have for your car insurance company the better.

Here’s how filing different types of claims works:

• When you’re at fault for an accident. Call your insurer to share the details of what happened. If you have collision insurance, you can file a claim for any damage to your car. The other driver will likely file a third-party claim against your liability car insurance for their damages and injuries. 
• When you’re not at fault for an accident. You may be able to file a third-party liability claim with the at-fault driver’s car insurance company to pay for damage to your car and injuries to you or your passengers. It’s still a good idea to let your car insurance company know. If the other driver does not have enough coverage to pay for the damages or injuries they caused, or if you were the victim of a hit and run, you can file a claim against your uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage. If you have it, you can also turn to your collision insurance to pay for your damages, but your deductible will apply.
• When your car is stolen or damaged by a covered problem. If you have comprehensive insurance, it covers vehicle theft and damage from problems like fallen trees and hail. Contact your insurer with all the information and proof of damage or loss to determine if you’re covered and begin the claims process through your car insurance company. 

Types of car insurance and what they cover: How car insurance works

Work with the car insurance claims adjustor

After filing your claim, an insurance claims adjuster may reach out. These professionals are typically employees or contractors of the insurance company who are responsible for investigating the claim, reviewing provided documentation, inspecting the damage and determining a proper settlement. 

The type of claim payout you receive will depend on the types of car insurance you carry and the circumstances around the incident. If your car was damaged by a fire, for instance, and you file a comprehensive car insurance claim, the adjuster will investigate the claim to determine if you’re covered by your policy and estimate how much the insurance company should pay for the damage to your vehicle.

Or, if you are at fault in an accident, the adjuster may be sent to investigate the accident and estimate the other party’s owed costs — and vice versa if you’re not the one at fault. This will also depend on whether you live in a no-fault state. 

It’s important that you take notes and keep a detailed log of any conversations or documentation received from the adjuster, as this will prove helpful if you need to dispute the claim. 

Receive a car insurance claim payout

Reaching a settlement can take some time, so communicate regularly with your auto insurance company and ask for updates. Depending on the state you live in and the severity of the car insurance claim, insurance companies may have a deadline for when they need to approve a claim, like 30 days. 

Whenever you speak with an employee on the phone, write down their name so you can reach them again. If you filed your claim in the insurer’s mobile app, you may be able to follow the claim progress in the app. 

How to file a car insurance claim in no-fault states

Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania and Utah are no-fault states. 

In no-fault states, drivers are required to file a claim with their own car insurance company first, regardless of who was at fault for an accident. All drivers in no-fault states are required to buy personal injury protection (PIP) insurance for this purpose. 

PIP, or no-fault insurance, can cover medical expenses for you and your passengers, up to your policy limit, no matter who caused the accident. 

If you live in a state without no-fault laws, PIP and a similar coverage called medical payments (MedPay) may still be available. 

Tips for expediting your car insurance claim

Here are some tips to make your car insurance claims process move faster. 

• Download your insurer’s mobile app. Many car insurance companies allow drivers to file claims through their apps. The usability and features of apps vary from company to company, but many let you upload documentation, photos and written statements to assist with your claim. Some apps make it easy to track the process of your claim.
• Gather all necessary information before you file the claim. The more prepared you are the less time it will take to track down the necessary information when filing a car insurance claim. Leaving out details, failing to include information about the other driver’s insurance or forgetting to attach photos of the accident can cause delays.
• Keep track of deadlines. Filing deadlines vary based on location, insurer and car insurance claim type. Reach out to your auto insurance company as soon as possible after an accident has occurred and ask about any time limits related to providing documentation and filing a car insurance claim. Add these to your paper or digital calendar and, if possible, include an alert so the deadline does not pass you by.
• Follow up with your car insurance company. The timeline for settling a claim can vary based on the severity of the accident, if multiple drivers were involved and how long it takes the adjuster to review all documentation. Following up with your insurer helps ensure everything is on track for working out a settlement.

What happens if my car insurance claim is denied?

If you feel your car insurance claim was incorrectly denied, you do have recourse. Most auto insurance companies provide an appeals process. You may also want to consider hiring your own public insurance adjuster who can work and negotiate with your car insurance company on your behalf, and give an estimate of what they think the claim payout should be. 

There are also insurance lawyers available, just keep in mind you’d have to foot the bill for the lawyer or the public adjuster. You can also contact your state’s Department of Insurance and file a complaint.

Here are some of the common reasons car insurance companies may deny a claim:

• You submitted incorrect information. Insurance agencies can deny your claim if any information provided is false, misleading or deceptive. This can also extend to any false or misleading information provided when you applied for insurance initially.
• You don’t have enough car insurance coverage. A common reason for denying a claim is when drivers don’t fully understand their car insurance coverage and limits. If you submit a claim for something that isn’t covered by your car insurance — or exceeds your policy limits — your claim will be denied or your payout may be less than you were expecting.
• Your auto insurance policy lapsed. If you fail to pay your insurance premium, your insurer can cancel your policy, or your coverage will lapse. This also applies if you provide fraudulent information or your driver’s license is revoked or suspended.
• You waited too long to file a car insurance claim. Individual states set laws around how long drivers have to file a claim after an accident. You should do this as soon as possible — even from the scene of the accident.