When you’ve been involved in a car accident, making an insurance claim afterwards will depend on who was at fault and the type of insurance cover each driver has. If you are not at fault in a car accident, you are entitled to have the costs of your towing, repairs and accident replacement vehicle covered by the at fault party or their insurer. This is why it’s crucial to work out who is at fault in a car accident.
Claiming Insurance When Not At Fault
If you are not at fault and the at fault party lodges an insurance claim to pay for the damages caused to you, you may be contacted by their insurer. Their insurer may ask you for additional information about the accident or for additional documents.
If the at fault party doesn’t have insurance or is unwilling to cooperate with you, you may need to lodge a claim through your own insurer. Remember that there may be time limits on how long after a car accident you can claim depending on your state or territory, the type of insurance cover you have and what you agreed to in your Product Disclosure Statement (PDS).
If your insurer is part of the Insurance Council of Australia, they will need to meet or exceed the standards for claims handling that are set out in the General Insurance Code of Practice. This code sets minimum standards that insurers need to meet from the time a consumer takes out a policy with them all the way through to the claims process. The Australian Financial Complaints Authority monitors compliance with the General Insurance Code of Practice.
What Happens After A Car Accident Claim
Insurance companies must respond to your claim within 10 business days from when your claim was lodged to fulfil the standards set out by General Insurance Code of Practice. If your insurer requires more information from you to assess your claim, they also need to let you know within in 10 business days. If your claim is denied by the insurance company, they need to provide you with reasons in writing and give you information about their complaints handling procedures.
If your insurer is not acting in compliance with the General Insurance Code of Practice, or if you are unhappy with the service and/or outcome you’ve received, you should lodge a complaint with your insurer through their internal dispute resolution process. If the issue is still not resolved, you can then lodge a complaint through The Australian Financial Complaints Authority.
What To Do After A Car Accident
In order to make claiming simpler after an accident, make sure that you exchange personal and insurance information with the other driver before leaving the accident scene. This is a legal requirement, and if at any time the other driver becomes aggressive or refuses to cooperate, you should call the police for assistance.
Remember that your insurer will rely on evidence when a claim is made, and you should collect evidence such as photos, videos, and witness statements at the scene of the accident.
Accident Replacement Car
If you’ve had a car accident and you’re not at fault, you may be eligible to receive an accident replacement vehicle. Even if you don’t have any car insurance, or you haven’t taken out a hire car as a optional extra on your policy, Right2Drive may still be able to assist you with a like-for-like car for the duration of your repairs.
