You can file a third-party insurance claim to get paid for your losses or injuries when you have a car accident that is not your fault. You will not need to contact your insurance provider.
Instead, you will have to file a third-party claim with the negligent driver’s company, and your car insurance will cover the costs of the damages you caused. After making a third-party claim, you will have to use your insurance if the at-fault driver does not have sufficient automobile insurance coverage.
Making an insurance claim against another person
You should ensure that the passengers as well as you are safe after a collision caused by another motorist and then call the emergency services. You can initiate the third-party claim process once it is clear that you and anyone else who is in your car are no longer in danger.
Refraining from apologizing for the injuries and blaming the other motorist at every step of this procedure is crucial. Even if your innocence is obvious, the suggestion that you were at fault can make it difficult to prevail in a third-party liability action.
Gather all necessary information from the scene
While you wait for the first officers, gather contact details and personal information from the other driver(s). You must provide their contact information to file a third-party vehicle insurance claim.
You can wait for the agent to respond to your call or ask the other driver to share the information, but you need the following:
- Phone numbers and names
- The number of insurance policies
- Name, model, and license plate number of each vehicle involved
- Pictures of the accident scene and damage
- Where the accident occurred, how it occurred, what caused it, and the time
- Witness names and contact information
- Contact details and badge number of the officer who intervened
In addition, you should request a copy of the police record from the responding officer because you will need it to file a claim. After the fact, you may need to request it from the responding officer’s police agency.
Call your insurance company
Even if you were not at fault for the accident, it is necessary to contact your insurer as soon as possible when it occurs. To avoid breaching the terms of your insurance policy, you should inform your insurer if the collision was significant enough that you need to exchange insurance information with the other driver.
Calling your insurance provider may also speed up the claims procedure. Your insurer can negotiate on your behalf with the at-fault driver’s insurer when you file a third-party claim.
Making the third-party liability claim filing
You can file a third-party claim after reporting the collision to your insurance provider by providing information about the other driver, the incident, and the extent of the damage done to your car.
The insurer will inform you whether you should file the claim yourself or if they will do it for you. Using the other driver’s insurance provider’s online claims site is the easiest way to file a third-party vehicle insurance claim.
The other driver’s insurance company will appoint a claims adjuster for you and begin determining who was at fault, validating your submitted data, and finalizing the third-party claim.
Find a claims adjuster
The other driver’s insurer may choose a claims adjuster to handle your case during the third-party claim procedure. This person is responsible for assessing liability after examining the accident and calculating your due amount.
The adjuster will question you about the accident, including your account of the circumstances leading up to the accident. You may find it helpful to document the accident in writing as you go along.
After evaluating your car, the adjuster determines the cost of repairs if the other driver is at fault. When you take your car to a repair shop, they may ask you for a rough estimate of these costs.