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The following tips are provided to educate and inform you about how you might handle a claim.

When filing a claim on your automobile insurance, you should take the following steps:

1. Always report an incident to the police, regardless of how minor it seems. What looks like a small dent or scratch could actually cost you several hundred dollars to repair.
2. Make sure the police officer gives you a copy of the drivers' information-exchange form.
3. Write down names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses in case you need them later.
4. Call your insurance agent and company immediately for further instructions. The insurer may deny payment of your claim if you do not report the accident.
5. Make sure that you include all information on your insurance application. If you withheld information which would have caused the insurance company to deny coverage originally, they may void your policy from its effective date and refuse to pay a claim.
6. Make sure that your insurance company agrees to pay before you start any repairs.
7. Check all repairs afterwards. Check them at the shop and then again at home.
8. Get a copy of the itemized repairs on a form printed with the repair shop's name and address.
9. Your insurance company may send an adjuster to inspect your automobile before you obtain any necessary repairs, or it may instruct you to obtain a specified number of estimates for the work. Find out from your insurance company what to do about supplemental damage in case the repair shop finds something caused by the accident but not on the original estimate.
10. You may choose which repair shop you want to fix your vehicle after an accident, unless otherwise stated in the policy. Some companies require policyholders to use auto-repair shops approved by the company. These companies usually offer a premium discount in exchange for your agreement to this provision.