The Claim Investigation Process

It is not what happened but what you can prove happened!

The claim investigation process takes time and effort. This is YOUR claim and everything about it will affect your life. Do not rely on the claim adjuster; to her you are one more file on her desk. So my best advice to you is, become your adjusters ally! Show respect, yet be forceful.

You will never win an auto accident by yelling, screaming, or being out of control. My colleges used to laugh at people that would get out of control because they can just put that file at the bottom of the pile. What is that mean? It means your claim will be delayed an extra period. If you are depending on having your car fixed, then this can put you in a bad spot.

The best thing to do is to not rely on adjuster and do her job! What? Yeah, adjusters get pay to investigate accidents. If you rely on their investigation, then you could be setting yourself up for big surprises. Why? Because you are the number one witness! You were right there. Your adjuster was not! Also, you are the number one beneficiary of the result of the investigation, the adjuster must meet a quota.

So how can you do help the adjuster with the claim investigation process? As noted above, you can help your claim investigation by showing or proving your side of events. You can be perfectly innocent, but if the other party does a better job on verifying their version of events, you can lose.

The first thing you will be asked for is a recorded statement. Do not give this statement, Click here for more on recorded statements, or if you do, then read our section on recorded statements. Do not act as if you have anything to hide, rather provide them with a verbal statement (same as a recorded statement but without being taped). Your adjuster will not like this, you are making her job harder. But that is ok, you can turn the tables around.

To better help the claim investigation process, you need to be documenting everything. After the statement, send a letter to your adjuster telling thank you for the verbal statement and then outline what is next. Something like this will do the job:

�Ms. Adjuster. Thank your for handling my claim. I enjoyed talking to you this morning. I have provided you with a verbal statement per your request. My understanding that the next step to move the claim investigation process forward and this accident to resolution is to provide you with the police report, a diagram, and witness information. I also understand that this process will take about two weeks. Please contact me if there is anything else that you will need to bring this matter to resolution. Thank you.�

This will give the effect that you are documenting your claim. Your adjuster will not be able to tell you that you have duty to cooperate. The words above are evidence of your willingness to cooperate.

In the brief letter above, you can see the steps that you are going to follow. First, you need to get the police report. This is key. Why? First, you will be able to see exactly what it says! Many adjusters will tell you that the police report says something it does not! If you have it in front of you, there will be no lying to you. Second, many states require you to sign something before releasing the information to anyone not directly involved in the accident.

So to obtain a recorded statement, your insurance company will have to send you a form for you to sign, then you mail it back to them. Then they mail that to the police department with the police report fee. Two weeks later the police report will be released to the insurance company. This is the procedure in most states. Other states are a little more efficient than this, but as you can probably tell, you will be waiting on the mail.

Therefore, it is better to take it upon yourself to go to the police department and get the police report. This way you have it right of way. You have to wait anywhere between 2 to 3 days before the report is final, but that is about it. The cost of obtaining a report is anywhere from $5 to $15. Keep the receipt and fax it to your adjuster. They will have to send you a check to reimburse you for the cost.

Make sure you can read the police report. They are difficult to read and have many codes on them. To read more on how to read a police report, Click here.

The next very important piece of information to move your claim investigation will be your diagram. If you did not draw a diagram at the scene of the accident, then you need to sit down and draw one out. A good diagram can win your case. To read more on how to draw a good accident diagram, click here. A diagram will show your version of events better than any statement can. A picture is worth one thousand words.

auto insurance truck and auto policy

The next step for the claim investigation process will be Photos! The diagram should show the vehicles in movement and the photos will show the exact location of the accident. A good photo can clear any question regarding visibility and/or reaction time. You can use a camera phone and email them to your adjuster. This will not cost you a dime. If you do have to print them, then save the receipt and have them pay you back!

To help your claim investigation and for better understanding, you should always visit the scene of the accident again so you have clear understanding of what actually went on. If you have the opportunity to take pictures, then you need to show all views of the intersection or parking lot. It is critical that you show every perspective so you can document your claim.

What is better than a diagram and photos? A video of the accident! Video? How can you get video. This used to be nearly impossible, but nowadays most parking lots have cameras. If you go and ask you might be surprise what information they will resale. If you let your adjuster do this, many companies will not release the tape. Why? People take insurance seriously, too seriously sometimes, and they do not want to be reel into court. This would not happen anyway, but people�s perceptions are stronger than what a claim adjuster can argue. After all, what is better for a claim investigation than an actual footage of the accident.

By going yourself, asking politely, and explaining that this might be the only piece of evidence you need to prove that you had nothing to do with the accident, then most people will try to hand you the tape. Some places will charge money (Target $50), then fax the receipt and have them pay you back.

Why do you want to do all this? If you do this, then you will be able to have complete control over the claim. You know exactly what your adjuster is looking at. But more importantly, you are moving the process forward at the speed of light. You can get all of these done in three days (one for diagram, statement, and photos, the other two are waiting for the police report!).

After this, your claim investigation should move forward. You know have provided enough information so the adjuster can make a coverage determination. Also, the liability (fault) investigation will be almost ready to be finalized. They will only need the other driver�s statement. If they do not provide a statement, then liability (fault) will be determined in the information that you provided.

You see, there will not be evidence against you regarding your duty to cooperate. In fact, you are cooperating more than most of the people out there. You are just not letting your adjuster frame you in a recorded statement. Your goal is to move the claim investigation forward in your terms, not theirs.

I know you are doing way more than you should. After we all pay insurance to have the carrier protect us and investigate accidents. Unfortunately, your accident will be another one in the life of the adjuster. So take a proactive approach before you get burned!

Claim Investigation Steps:

1. Recorded Statement.
2. Police Report.
3. Accident Photos.
4. Accident Diagrams.
5. Accident Videos.

6. Vehicle Damage Estimate Lenght of time of the auto insurance claim

Claim Investigation Process: learn how to get a police report.

Learn How read and interpret the police report.

Learn more about accident photos.

Learn how to get or stage your own accident video