Most insurance claims do not require a police report, especially if the damage is minimal. Insurers are unlikely to require a police report unless your property has been severely damaged, you have been injured, or a crime has occurred.
Having a police record on hand before submitting an insurance claim might expedite the procedure. Insurance claims can still be filed; they will only take longer than they would if a police report had been filed.
Is police report necessary for insurance claim?
After an accident, claiming automobile insurance requires a thorough understanding of the procedure for filing a claim with your insurance carrier. A step-by-step approach to filing an automobile insurance claim is provided below:
Inform Your Insurance Company:
Make a call to your insurance carrier to report the collision and provide specific details about the damage to your vehicle. Make sure you don’t withhold any information from your insurer, as this could make resolving claims more difficult.
File an FIR with the Police:
Notify the police right away about the accident and, if necessary, file a First Information Report (FIR). In the event of theft, traffic accidents, or fire, a police report is required. If the dents and scrapes are minimal, you may not need a FIR. You’ll also need it if there’s a third party involved in the collision.
Take Pictures:
Make sure you take plenty of photos of the damage and the accident site. Ensure that the images are clear and that the damages are evident so that the insurance company can assess the degree of the physical damage and settle the claim appropriately.
Submit Required Documents to the Insurer:
The insurance company will need certain papers to process the claim, such as a copy of the insurance policy, a copy of the FIR, the owner-license, driver’s driver’s a copy of your car’s registration certificate, and so on. For a stress-free journey, make sure you submit these paperwork and engage with your insurer.
Get Your Car Repaired:
You can have your vehicle fixed at a garage. You might also request that the car be repaired through your insurance provider. If your claim is approved by the insurer, you will be refunded or compensated for your loss.
In The Case of Theft:
If your car is taken, notify your insurance company and submit a police report at the nearest police station. Send the insurance company documentation like the RC, your driver’s license, your FIR, and so on. If the police are unable to locate the vehicle in a reasonable amount of time, a non-traceable certificate will be issued. Following that, the insurance will resolve the claim and pay you the current market value of your vehicle.
How do I claim car insurance without police report?
No insurance company will consider your claim without a FIR, and no FIR will be issued if you do not notify a cop. As a result, you must receive your FIR copy as soon as possible. Lack of critical information After an accident, most individuals are preoccupied with gathering information such as the driver’s name, license number, and so on.
How important is a police report in a car accident?
While a police report is not required when submitting a claim for compensation for your injuries in a vehicle accident, it does provide crucial information to the insurance company. Furthermore, it is an independent third-party description of what happened from a police officer qualified to investigate automobile accidents, which can be highly persuasive to an insurance adjuster handling your claim. Similarly, not having one damages your claim because it makes the accident appear trivial and unlikely to result in serious injuries.
Furthermore, a police report offers a plethora of data. Here is some of the information that a police report might provide to assist you prove your case:
- The incident is documented. The date, time, and location of the accident will be recorded in a police report. If the careless driver tries to dodge blame by denying the collision occurred, this can assist you in documenting the incident.
- This page contains contact information. The police report will supply you with contact information for the other motorist and his insurance company, which you’ll need to make a claim, as well as information regarding witnesses to the accident.
- Statements. The police officer will record your and the other driver’s remarks and incorporate them in the police report. This will tell you how the other motorist believes the accident occurred, and it may include incriminating admissions in which he confesses fault. Furthermore, the officer may include witness testimony that could substantiate the other driver’s negligence.
- What happened was described in detail. The police officer will give a description of how the accident happened as well as his conclusions on who was at fault. The report will also detail any vehicle damage, injuries sustained by victims, meteorological conditions, and any relevant variables that contributed to the incident.
- Diagram. A diagram of the accident scene and the point of impact during the crash is frequently included by police personnel.
- Photographs. In significant incidents, the police report may include photos or video taken by the officer of the accident scene, car damage, and other details.
- Citations. Any tickets issued to any of the drivers involved in the incident will be noted in the police report.
Does car insurance ask police report?
Accidents with automobiles are traumatic and stressful. Aside from that, the insurance process, documentation, and following police reports can be stressful.
Police reports are available to all vehicle insurance companies. The police report is used to determine whether or not you were in an accident, to examine when you submitted a claim, and to alter your rate.
What are the Contents of a Police Report?
The police report is a summary of a collision with a motor vehicle that includes accident facts as well as the investigator’s viewpoint. Some or all of the following information is frequently included in police reports:
How do the Car Insurance Agencies Use the Police Report?
When a claim is filed following an accident, the vehicle insurance companies will investigate. The police report will be one of the first things they will request. The report offers thorough information on the car accident and is a useful resource because of the following:
To Investigate further
To resolve insurance claims, insurance firms look at police reports. They will be able to make more informed decisions based on the reports.
To determine the fault
The police reports are used by most vehicle insurance companies to discover mistakes and establish the level of liability of both parties involved. If you are 70% responsible and another driver is 30% liable, your employer will cover 70% of the bill and the remaining 30% will be covered by the other driver’s auto insurance. Car insurance coverage in some situations reimburse the full amount to the driver who is responsible for the majority of the debt.
The information presented in a police report can be factual or subjective. Car insurance companies are responsible for determining the extent of the damage. They frequently come to a conclusion about who is to blame after doing their inquiry.
Should you always report an accident to your insurance company?
In most cases, drivers have 30 days to report an automobile collision to their insurance company. However, policies don’t necessarily specify a period and may simply indicate that a driver must report an accident “as soon as possible.”
Although you should nearly always notify your insurance company as soon as possible after an accident, because waiting too long could endanger a future claim or cause an at-fault motorist to lose certain safeguards, there are some exceptions.
How do I make an insurance claim for a car accident?
- Call your insurance carrier as soon as possible after the accident to report the damage.
- Make a claim with your insurance company and request that a surveyor be assigned to assess the damage.
- If your insurer allows it, you can also submit your claim online.
Documents required to make a claim:
The insurance provider may need certain documentation from you in order to validate and approve your claim. You must submit all required papers for the claim as well as complete the claim form. The following is a list of papers that you must present when filing an automobile insurance claim:
Formalities for making a car insurance claim
In the event of an automobile accident, the policyholder has two options for filing a claim: third-party and own damage. After an accident, follow these steps to file a claim:
- Third-party claim: In cases where a third-party vehicle has caused damage or harm to you or your vehicle, you can file a third-party claim against the other vehicle owner. If you are unable to work as a result of the accident, you may be eligible to recover medical expenses as well as compensation for personal injury, property damage, and loss of earnings. If there is a death, compensation can also be requested.
In the case that your car collides with another vehicle and causes damage to a third-party vehicle, on the other hand, your insurance will cover the damages, loss, injuries, and deaths that you caused to the other party.
- Obtain the insurance information for the vehicle that caused the damage to your car and notify that vehicle’s insurer of the occurrence.
- Immediately notify your insurance carrier of the situation. Make sure you notify your insurer about the accident within the time limit.
- Then, with your insurer’s help, file a third-party claim. If you’ve been injured, you’ll need to file a third-party claim against the vehicle’s owner. In the event that your vehicle causes injury, death, or property damage to a third party, you must file a claim with your insurance company.
- Call the police and register a First Information Report by contacting the police helpline number (FIR). In the FIR, make sure to include the following information:
- After that, you must make a claim with the Motor Accident Claims Tribunal in the region where the accident occurred, or with the tribunal in the area where you (the claimant) and the third-party (the defendant) both live or conduct business.
- Own damage claim: If your insured car is damaged or lost as a result of an accident, you can make an own damage claim. The medical bills and repair costs incurred as a result of the accident will be covered by your insurer. You will, however, need to verify the extent of the harm or loss caused by the accident. Only if you have a comprehensive insurance will you be entitled for this claim.
Points to remember:
- Make a thorough examination of yourself and your vehicle to see if any significant injuries have occurred. You’ll have to determine whether or not to seek medical care based on the severity of the damage.
- Make your claim within the time window set by your insurance carrier, which is usually 24 hours.
- In the event of a delay, the claim may be rejected.
- Take down the license plate number, model, and color of the other vehicle involved in the collision.
- Speak with any witnesses who were present at the time of the accident and take down their names and contact information.
- You might need to contact them again in the future to figure out who caused the accident.
- You can avoid filing a claim if you discover that the damage is limited to the car and is minor. Make a thorough assessment of the issue and make an immediate call.
- Avoid getting into a dispute with the third party, since this will only add to the confusion.
- If you’re not sure what you’re going to do next, don’t say anything to the cops or the insurance company.
- Only move the car from the accident scene for repairs or other purposes if the police and insurance company agree.
- You must submit all required papers for the claim and complete the claim form. An inspection of the vehicle may also be required.
- If your automobile insurance policy includes a cashless claim option, drive your vehicle to a network garage for repairs and take use of the cashless service to avoid paying for insured damages out of pocket. The insurer will cover the cost of the workshop.
What do you do after a minor car accident?
- The law requires you to halt your car at the scene of an accident (section 170 of the Road Traffic Act 1988). If it is not safe to stop your automobile right away, look for a nearby refuge spot where you can pull over and stop. This could be a hard shoulder on a highway or a side street off a major main road.
- Someone may be hurt as a result of the accident, depending on its severity. Examine yourself first, then your passengers, as well as any other individuals involved, including pedestrian witnesses, for injuries. If an ambulance is required, dial 911.
- If a car is on fire, or if passengers are injured or trapped inside a vehicle, or if the collision has caused a roadblock, emergency services must be called. Call 101 if you don’t need an emergency response.
- You are required by law to share information with the drivers of the cars involved, including both the driver’s and the vehicle owner’s names and addresses (unless they are one and the same). Failure to do so constitutes a criminal offense. Your insurance company will also need this information to process any claims. Make a note of car identification markers (registration plate, make, and model) for all vehicles involved and exchange driving license information (take a photo) for contact details.
- In order to evaluate fault and liability, insurance firms use facts from the accident scene. Always attempt to obtain as much information as possible regarding the accident scene. Take pictures of the accident site and the damage to the automobiles involved. Take careful notes on essential details such as the time of day, weather, traffic, and driving conditions. All of this data may be beneficial to insurers and law enforcement. Exchange contact information with any passers-by or witnesses who can corroborate your account of what happened. You’ll be able to develop a strong remember of the collision if you take careful notes on all of the people and vehicles involved.
- You should contact your insurance company as quickly as possible to share all of the information you acquired at the accident scene. If you decide to pursue a claim, your insurance carrier will contact all other parties involved to determine fault and liability and to settle all claims. You can schedule car repairs after your insurance company has been notified of the accident. Find out more about how to fix your car after an accident.
Can I claim old damage on car insurance?
Pre-existing damages are rarely covered by insurance coverage. In fact, not only do they not cover them, but the insurance company can deny a future claim based on earlier damage. Any damage to your vehicle that existed before you purchased your insurance coverage is referred to as pre-existing damage. This could involve earlier damage to your vehicle that you didn’t repair or typical wear and tear.
Pre-existing damages are unlikely to be covered by your insurance carrier for the following reasons:
- They are not obligated to pay for car damage that occurred before you had a coverage with them.
- They lack the information necessary to make a decision on your claim.
Insurance firms’ liability would very certainly grow if they covered pre-existing harm. As a result, the average policy rates would rise.
Why is it important to make sure a police report is properly filed after a collision?
A police report can be incredibly powerful as evidence, in addition to giving factual and impartial third-party documentation of the accident. It represents an objective account of the incident that can be more persuasive as evidence than the victims’ and at-fault party’s own accounts. A police report is required by insurance companies involved in a claim, and possessing one will aid your case in a variety of ways if and when you decide to file a personal injury lawsuit.