Anyone that has purchased an automobile insurance policy should contact the company that sold them that same policy as soon as possible, after the policyholder has become involved in an accident.
Is there a deadline for carrying out that particular task?
Some insurance companies try to suggest that there is a deadline, but that is not the case. Sometimes an event forces a policyholder to delay the time for contacting the seller of the car insurance policy, as per personal injury lawyer in Bowmanville.
A collision that involved the driver of the policyholder’s car might take place the day before the holder of the insurance policy is supposed to undergo some minor surgery. In that situation, a delay would be understandable, and would not be unethical or illegal.
There might be a more serious emergency taking place in the policyholder’s life on the same day as a collision. For instance, a family member might die. In that instance, pressing issues could force a delay.
Still, policyholders should understand that if an insurance company were not contacted in a timely manner, then that could affect its investigation of the accident. Whenever delayed reporting has affected such an investigation, then the insurer does have grounds for claiming that its investigation was hampered by the claimant’s own actions.
What should take place during the investigation?
That is when the adjuster gathers as much information as possible. If a driver with an injury, also a potential claimant had not shared the name and insurance information of the other driver, the same driver’s insurance company could not reach out to someone at the other driver’s insurance agency.
Following submission of a claim, the adjuster that had received the recent file would need to arrange for an inspection of the claimant’s damaged vehicle. Obviously, that inspection should take place before the same driver has been involved in any other accident. A problem could arise, if 2 different people hit the same driver on the same day.
The same adjuster would contact the driver that had alleged that one of the company’s policyholders had been at-fault for the collision. The contacted driver should not feel obligated to answer, at that time, all of the adjuster’s questions. The driver’s reply could indicate plans for composing a demand letter. That reply could also direct the adjuster to the driver’s insurance company, assuming that it had been contacted in a timely manner.
A timely investigation could uncover evidence that the allegedly responsible driver had not been guilty of negligence. Hence, a driver could certainly benefit from contacting his/her own insurance company as soon as possible, after having been involved in an accident. Sometimes an investigation leads to the delivery of good news.
