After an Accident | NC DOI

Accident Checklist

• Stop your car in a safe place.
• Move your car, if needed, to protect against further damage and keep from blocking traffic.
• Call the police, especially when there are injuries or hit and run accidents.
• Get the other driver’s name, address, phone number, license plate number, driver’s license number and insurance information.
• Record the name of the insurance company and policy number exactly as it appears on the other driver’s proof of insurance card.
• Get the names of any witnesses as well as their address and telephone number.
• Don’t agree to forget about the accident. You may have hidden damages, unknown injuries or later find that a lawsuit has been filed against you.
• Call your agent if you have any questions or concerns with the claims process. Your agent could be of assistance when filling out forms and documents required to proceed with your claim.

Who do I call to file a claim?

Contact your agent or insurance company. If another individual is responsible for your damages, you need to contact their policy agent or company vitamin a well. The adjuster you are assigned will inform you of any extra steps needed .

How will a company determine who is at fault?

The policy adjuster investigating the accident will attempt to determine who is negligent or at-fault. North Carolina Contributory Negligence Law bars a driver from collecting damages if determined to be partially at fault. In kernel, if you contribute to an accident, you may not be able to collect on a liability title. Any disagreement over negligence may ultimately have to be resolved in a court of law .

If your car can be repaired

Repairs to a vehicle may be necessary as a result from a claim on your own policy as a “ first party claimant ” or from your claim on person else ’ sulfur indebtedness policy as a “ third base party claimant ” for damages for which the person covered by the policy becomes legally responsible. In either circumstance, the policy caller is responsible for the costs to repair your vehicle. The indemnity ship’s company may recommend a rectify denounce ; however, you have the right to select the repair workshop of your choose. The measure determined by the insurance company to be account payable under the policy, will be paid careless of whether or not you use the commend repair service. No policy company shall require the use of after-market parts unless the depart is equal to the original separate in terms of meet, quality, performance and guarantee. Any modifications made necessity because of the use of after-market parts shall be included in the estimates .
If you, as the first party claimant, disagree with the measure of the loss, your policy contains an “ Appraisal Provision ”, where you and your policy caller select a competent appraiser and the two appraisers will select an umpire. The appraisers will state individually the Actual Cash Value and the sum of the loss. If they do not agree, they will submit their differences to the arbiter. A decision by any two will be binding. You and the indemnity company will each pay their chosen appraiser and bear the expenses of the appraisal and arbiter equally.

If you, as the third base party claimant, disagree with the sum of the personnel casualty, you have a couple of options. You can file a claim on your own comprehensive or collision coverage, if your policy includes that, and let your company “ subrogate ” or recover the payment from the apt company, or you can work with the appraiser from the company to review the estimates and employment to come to an agreement. however, if a disagreement persists, it may ultimately have to be resolved in a woo of law. It is always a good idea to discuss your options with your lawyer .

If your car must be totaled

If a motive vehicle is damaged, to the extent that the total cost of repair is adequate to or exceeds 75 percentage of the preaccident actual cash respect ( ACV ), the insurance company   shall consider the vehicle a total personnel casualty .
When your car is totaled, the policy company is creditworthy for its ACV. ACV represents the local anesthetic market value of the totaled vehicle.

If you are injured

checkup Payments coverage, if purchased, may provide some aid for your sophisticate and hospital bills, regardless of defect .
Bodily injury claims can include doctor and hospital bills, lab fees, lost wages and pain and suffering that are a direct result of the accident .
The General Statutes of North Carolina establish no guidelines pertaining to the decision or calculation of any amount owed to you for pain and suffer. therefore, if you and the insurance company can not agree on the prize of your claim you may wish to seek legal advice.

What if the insurance company and I cannot agree on the amount to be paid by my collision or other than collision (Comprehensive) coverage?

You can elect to use the appraisal planning of your policy. According to the provision, you and the insurance company will each choose a competent appraiser. The two appraisers will then select an arbiter. The appraisers will state individually the ACV and the sum of loss. If they do not agree, they will submit their differences to the referee. A decision by any two will be binding .
The policy company and the guarantee will pay its chosen appraiser and bear the expenses of the appraisal and referee .