A police report provides an official and detailed description of what happened in the accident. Police reports are required when it comes to injuries, significant damage, or extenuating circumstances. However, you can act as your own detail-oriented advocate in case of minor incidents. A third-party claim is a claim filed by someone other than the policyholder or insurance company.
If you have a car accident caused by someone else, you can file a third-party claim with the other driver's insurance to cover expenses related to the accident. If you have liability coverage, as required by most states, it's available to cover third-party claims that others may file when you're the at-fault driver. In certain situations, your insurance company has the legal right to “subrogate,” meaning that it can ask the at-fault third party for reimbursement for an insurance loss. Understanding how the claims process works, including reporting an accident, working with an insurance adjuster and repairing your car, if necessary, can make filing a claim easier and less stressful.
Car insurance is a rare product that you buy in the hope of never using it, but if you're involved in an accident or your vehicle is damaged, you may need to file a claim. If you file a third-party claim yourself, you can create an at-fault party's insurance account and access their online claims portal, where you can file your claim and track the progress of the claim. Keep in mind that while police officers sometimes determine fault, it can be a difficult and time-consuming task to prove to the insurance company that your insured driver caused the accident. Although you won't submit the claim to your insurance company, call your insurer as soon as possible to report what happened.
If Progressive insures you, there are certain steps you should take to avoid problems or delays with your claim to a third party. For example, if you have reimbursement coverage for a rental vehicle, you may be entitled to a rental vehicle while it's being repaired. This overview of Progressive auto insurance accident claims may be useful, but it is not a substitute for the advice of a knowledgeable lawyer. If you have rental vehicle reimbursement coverage under your own policy, you will have coverage for a rental car regardless of fault, within the limits of your policy.
Founded in 1937, Progressive took a different approach than other insurance companies were taking at the time. You file a collision claim against your own insurance policy because you need a new car as soon as possible. If you are insured by Progressive and were at fault, you can only claim property damage if you have collision coverage. Often, they will file the claim with the driver's insurance company on your behalf, after working with the other insurer to determine fault.
The process for filing a car insurance claim with your insurance company is similar, whether you have a police report or not.
