Understanding the Claim Process with the “Other” Driver's Insurance Carrier

You’re crossing through an intersection, which is controlled by traffic lights, and another vehicle, coming from your left, fails to stop and strikes your vehicle in the Left Rear Quarter Panel.

The claims adjuster at the ‘other’ carrier will want to discuss a number of things with you.  You can be fairly certain, however, that the adjuster will be FIRST talking to her own driver, her own insured policyholder.  There are a few good reasons for this:

- She will ask her insured for some very specific details and may easily and quickly determine that her driver is clearly 100% at fault, eliminating a lengthier investigation.

- She may hear another version from her insured – one that puts you clearly at fault for the impact – and she will need to base her questions to you on the details she receives from her customer. She will, of course, also provide you an opportunity to describe the accident, which will also shed light on the true and full details.

- If you have filed the claim, rather than her policyholder, she will want to ask her insured very specific, pin-pointed questions based on exactly what your loss description has provided. Answer all of her questions to the best of your knowledge; the adjuster was not there, but needs as much pin-pointed detail as she can collect from all the parties who were involved, including witnesses, if any. Also, she may come back with more questions after speaking with her insured; continue to cooperate. A thorough investigation is a good thing.

- She will have likely have scheduled an appraisal and photos of the insured vehicle; damage locations on this vehicle will provide her with many details that can either confirm or disprove each party’s description of the collision.

The ‘other’ adjuster will likely take photos of both vehicles.  The severity of damages and location of damages on each car can provide very reliable details of the actual impact. These can illustrate the direction of each vehicle and the relative speed of each driver. Do not hesitate to send any photos, diagrams, or other illustrative materials that will help the adjuster to ‘see’ the scene.

If there is no witness, and each party provides conflicting statements, those damage details can be extremely important in determining liability by demonstrating what movements each car made or were making, just prior to the collision. The location and severity of punch-type dents, scratches & scrapes on both cars have a tale to tell.

Bear in mind that a ticket issued to one party does not determine liability for the adjuster. Both parties may have contributed to the accident and it is the adjuster’s role to determine if that is so, and what percentage each party contributed. An officer’s role, however, is to determine if the civil traffic code has been violated.

Cooperation, patience, asking questions, and understanding that most claims are NOT resolved overnight, or on the actual day of the occurrence, will make your claim experience easier and more productive.