When you are involved in a car crash, all the reasons that you secured adequate coverage for yourself in the first place make themselves evident in a hurry! When anyone thinks about an auto wreck, it’s easy to assume that two vehicles were involved in the collision, both drivers did their due diligence and stayed on the scene, and the claims are sent off to be processed and paid out by insurance companies. While this is often times the case, many different situations can arise that would make the settlement process quite a bit longer, which makes things complicated for someone that just had their vehicle damaged. 

Here are some of the things that can come up and provide just a few more circumstances to deal with than you may have been prepared for, much like the accident itself!

Having an Incident with an Uninsured Individual:

The insurance information institute has estimated that more than 10% of drivers at any time in many states are underinsured. There are many more that are only insured with the minimum coverage just to get on the road legally, with that number ticking upwards as inflation rears its head again. When you meet with us here at Alexander insurance agency to set up your policy, adding underinsured slash uninsured coverage to your policy comes to your aid immediately during this scenario. It also is so very useful in that it covers the cost of injuries you and your passengers may have incurred so you are not suddenly receiving bills for treatment you assumed you were covered for. 

Sustaining Major Injuries + Harm:

When you are a passenger and you have been seriously hurt, you remain legally fault-free and can recover from any involved party after you simply prove they were a minimum of just 1% liable for the accident. Simply contact us as your provider immediately after this unfortunate event. You may be able to recoup damages from the auto insurance of the vehicle you were in, from the other vehicle involved in the crash, or even your own personal auto insurance coverage.

What if you are Riding in a Cab or Commonly Used Rideshare Service?

When this kind of accident takes place, your vehicle is fortunately not involved. Even if the events may shock and traumatize you a little, you should gather as much information as you possibly can right away. Begin by snapping photos of the vehicles damaged and try your hardest to obtain pictures of any driver’s identification as well as their auto insurance policy information. 

If you are the passenger when this happens, report the accident on your Lyft, Uber, or other available application. If you were in a taxi the company will most likely have a form for you to fill out right at the accident scene. These providers of rideshare services do know that things can happen quickly on the road, and for this reason they sometimes carry up to $1 million of coverage that they mandate upon their drivers to assure consistent safety. 

When the Guilty Party Leaves the Scene:

If the one who caused the accident leaves a scene immediately, this is when you must act very quickly and identify anything you can about their vehicle’s traits. A license number is crucial, but even the model, color, in any other things that stick out such as damage to the vehicle is relative to the investigation. One of the best features of living in today’s high-tech society is the fact that phones have cameras and video cameras, and footage like this can really provide you a great amount of leverage in any insurance investigation. Even if you don’t think the accident is that serious at first, it’s very important to file a police report the DAY AFTER or day of the incident, so they can get to work on solving things immediately. 

When everything in your day is moving at a typical pace and then suddenly you get into an auto wreck, it can be very frightening! All of us at the Alexander Insurance Agency of Saint Charles is standing by to help you pick the right policy, answered the phone for you immediately with any questions, and see to it that you are back on the road again and healthy in the least amount of time as possible.