What To Expect When Filing Your Property Damage Claim

If you are involved in a car accident caused by a careless driver, your vehicle is likely to be damaged. You’ll need to file a claim for property damage. If you believe the procedure is simple, you’re mistaken. When it comes to filing your claim, you may have a lot of options. This is how filing property damage claims can help.

What’s a Property Damage Claim?

The component of your claim that covers the cost of repairing or replacing your car is known as a property damage claim. In Florida, all drivers must acquire $10,000 in property damage liability coverage to cover damages to other people’s cars and property in the event of an accident. When obtaining your own insurance coverage, you also have the option of purchasing collision insurance, which may cover these costs.

Important Steps in Filing Property Damage

When you submit a property damage claim, there are a few things to keep in mind:

• Reporting your accident: Even if you decide to file a property damage claim with the irresponsible driver’s insurance company, you should notify your own as well. Your insurance policy may compel you to do so, and contacting your insurance provider preserves your right to file a claim later should you need to.
• Filing a claim: You must contact and make a claim with the insurance company that you’ve decided to work with.
• Obtaining your payment: The insurance company may send you a check to pay for your vehicle’s replacement or repair, or it may send the cash straight to a third party, such as the repair facility, once your claim is handled.

Parties to Involve in Property Damage Claims

When filing a claim for property damage, responsibility can fall on the following parties::

• Your own insurance company: If you have collision insurance, you may choose to submit a claim with your own insurer and let them pursue compensation from the careless driver’s insurer. This has the advantage of allowing you to resolve a dispute more quickly and with a simpler approach. One disadvantage of this option is that you will be responsible for recovering your deductible amount—the amount you must pay before your insurance company would pay your claim.
• Negligent driver’s insurance company: You could submit a claim with the insurance company of the at-fault driver. You won’t have any out-of-pocket fees if you do it this way. The disadvantage is that it may take longer to settle your claim, particularly if you also have a personal injury claim.
• The negligent driver: You may have to launch a lawsuit against the irresponsible driver if he did not have the minimum insurance needed by Florida law or if you’re struggling to resolve your claim with his insurance carrier.

Stone Claims Group Specializes in Negotiating Property Damage Claims

Your property damage claim could be large, and the irresponsible driver’s insurance company may try to deny or decrease your compensation. Even your own insurance provider may not be fair, especially if the claim is significant in value. You’ll need an experienced disaster adjuster to walk you through the appraisal process of making a claim and negotiating a settlement on your behalf.

To schedule your free consultation and understand how Stone Claims Group can assist you, call (800) 892-1116 today!