Every auto claim filed moves through five milestones each with the support of a claims professional to guide you along the way.
Five Auto Claim Milestones
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Assignment
Whether you reported your Auto claim to your agent or called Claim Services, your auto claim was assigned to a professional, who will guide you through the claims process and work with a team of claims specialists to manage your claim.
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Initial Contact
In this phase, your claims professional contacts you about your Auto claim to:
- Obtain initial information about your loss.
- Discuss your Auto policy coverage and any applicable endorsements.
- Explain how your claim will be handled.
- Suggest ways to prevent further damage – for example, by putting a tarp over a damaged roof or a broken vehicle window. (You are responsible for maintaining and protecting your property. If it is damaged, you must take appropriate action to protect it from further damage until you have it repaired.)
- Schedule an in-person appointment, if one is needed to adjust your claim.
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Evaluation
If needed, your claims professional will conduct a vehicle inspection to determine whether your loss is covered – gathering all the facts about your loss, investigating and documenting damage or injury, interviewing witnesses or other involved individuals, taking photos and samples, and formally evaluating your claim.
It is our objective to evaluate coverage, complete our estimate if the loss is covered, and deliver a payment during our first visit. If we can’t, we’ll explain why. We also stand ready to re-inspect your vehicle and provide a supplemental payment if you, a vendor or repair facility later identifies additional damages that are covered by your policy.
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Resolution
We’ll work with you to resolve your claim fairly. In many cases, your claims professional will issue a payment based on the estimate for repairs at the end of the initial inspection. If your claim is complex, it may take a bit longer.
Payment for medical bills associated with your Auto claim will be made according to your policy coverage and your state’s laws.
If you have questions about your claim payment, please do not hesitate to contact your claims representative. And remember – cashing a check does not waive any rights you have under the terms of your policy.
If your damages are not covered, in part or in whole, by your policy, we will provide a letter explaining why and identifying the portion of your policy that applies to that coverage denial.
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Claim Closed
When we resolve your claim according to the terms of your policy, we close the claim. You still may have some questions at that point. Once again, if you have a question that we haven’t answered, call your Claim Representative.
Your Car Repair Estimate
Once your claims professional completes your auto loss estimate, they will review it with you before issuing payment. The first page includes our contact information and your claim number. That number is the unique identifier for this claim; we use it to quickly locate your information. The estimate of the cost to repair covered damage is organized by area or item, and includes individual line items that indicate what will need to be repaired or replaced to bring your vehicle back to its pre-loss condition. It also includes a summary page, with an overview of all items included in the estimate.
The estimate you receive from your claims representative is just that: an estimate. A number of issues may contribute to differences between our estimate and your vehicle repair facility’s. If there are differences, don’t panic: just contact your claims representative, who will probably ask you to send them a copy of the vehicle repair facility’s estimate for review. They’ll then discuss it with your vehicle repair service, and may then re-inspect your vehicle to resolve any differences.
