Question
My car was hit at a stop sign
My car was backed into at a stop sign earlier today. I received insurance information of the other driver's company and was wondering what the best way to move forward is? Should I call both their insurance and mine for a claim? Who should I call first?
Answer
Sorry to hear you were in an accident. How you file your claim can depend on if there are any injuries or if it is just damage to your car.
For most car insurance policies, the only time you would file a bodily injury claim is when you are not at fault in an accident, meaning the other person caused you to sustain injuries requiring medical attention. In this case, you would be dealing with their insurance company to receive compensation rather than your own. (The only exception is if the other driver is uninsured, which is a critical reason you need uninsured motorist coverage!)
When there is only damage to your car you can follow the below guidelines :
- If the other driver is clearly at fault in an accident you’re involved in, you’ll start by contacting the at-fault driver’s insurance company to begin the claims process. Again, the only people who can determine fault in an accident are the insurance companies. So, if it’s not cut and dry, you’ll want to get your insurance company involved. If you are at fault in an accident and want to file a claim with your own insurance company, you’ll need to make sure you have comprehensive and collision coverages (together often called “full coverage”), and that you are willing to pay your deductible and risk a premium increase upon filing a claim. Whether it’s your company or the other driver’s, the company will assign your claim to a claims adjuster who will investigate the accident, get the damaged vehicle(s) repaired, and overall, resolve the claim
While no one accident is the same, typically when you are hit from behind the other driver is at fault and you want to contact their insurance first. Still need more information? Check out our guide to filing claims. Good luck!