How, when and where the accident or loss happened, including the names and addresses of any injured persons and any witnesses. • Copies of any notices or legal papers you receive about the accident or loss. • Documents related to the claim, such as medical and auto repair bills, a copy of the police report, or a bill of sale for the auto.
Filing a Claim With Your Own Insurance Company • Immediately report all losses directly to your insurance producer/agent and/or insurance company. • Immediately report a loss to the police, and later get a copy of the police report. • Show the damaged vehicle to the insurer before you have it repaired. • Protect your auto from more damage, if possible. Your policy conditions Usually require this. • Cooperate with the insurance company's investigation. • Review the section of your insurance policy that describes your duties and other possible requirements in the event of a loss (sometimes referred to as "Duties After A Loss")
Filing a Claim with the Other Driver’s Insurance Company You may consider the option of contacting the other driver’s insurance company directly in the event of an accident. The other driver’s insurance company will investigate the claim, and will offer a settlement if they believe their insured is legally responsible for your injuries or damages. In most cases, the other driver’s insurance company will not settle your claim for bodily injury until you sign a release for injuries sustained. The release bars you from pursuing future claims against or further payment from the other driver and his/her insurance company. Be sure you are ready to accept the amount offered as the final amount before you sign the release. If you and the insurance company agree on the amount paid for property damage to your auto before the bodily injury portion of the claim is settled, the property damage claim settlement can not be delayed.
When can I expect to hear from the insurance company after I file a claim? Per New Hampshire Insurance Department rules, NH INS 1002.04 (b), your insurance company must respond to you within 10 working days after they receive your claim. 2. How many repair estimates must I submit? Per New Hampshire Insurance Department Rules, NH INS 1002.14, you are only responsible for the cost of one estimate for property damage to your auto. The insurance company is liable for any further expenses if they request any repair estimates after the first one. 3. What if I can’t drive my car and it needs to be left at a storage facility, will the insurance company pay those fees? Yes. If your auto is not drivable and it is towed to a storage facility, the insurance company will pay for both. The insurance company must give reasonable notice before they stop paying for auto storage charges. 4. Can an insurance company deduct for "betterment" (the amount that exceeds the value of the old or used parts)? Yes. If the repair of your auto involves parts that normally wear out such as tires, mufflers, etc., replacement of these parts with new ones might require that you pay the difference between the new value and the value of the part at the time of the loss. 5. Can the insurance company deduct for things like unrepaired damage or rust? Per New Hampshire Insurance Department rules, deductions can be taken if the damaged part or portion of the auto had pre-existing damage or deterioration. Companies are not required to make something better than it was prior to the loss. 6. Can the insurance company use After-Market Replacement or non-original equipment manufacturer (non-OEM) parts? Per NH RSA 407-D:3 - No insurer shall require the use of after market parts in the repair of an automobile unless the after market part is at least equal in like kind and quality to the original part in terms of fit, quality and performance. Insurers specifying the use of after market parts shall consider the cost of any
modifications which may become necessary when making the repair. The only exception to this is: Per New Hampshire Bulletin Number 99-014- AB – After-Market Parts may not be required for use on autos placed in service within the immediately preceding two (2) years and which have 30,000 or fewer miles recorded on the odometer. 7. How will the insurance company determine the value of my auto? Companies may use guidebooks such as the one published by the National Association of Auto Dealers (NADA) to decide your auto's retail value, or an alternate statistical methodology. Factors that may be considered involve the individual characteristics of your auto (such as current condition) as well as general features such as age, make, and model. A list of approved valuation methods can be found on the New Hampshire Insurance Department web-site. 8. DoI have to pay a deductible when I file a claim? If you chose a deductible when you bought your policy and you are filing a claim with your insurance company, you will be responsible for the amount of the deductible when you submit a claim. 9. Will the insurance company pay the costs of renting a car if my auto is stolen or in an accident? Possibly - If your auto is stolen or if you have an accident, most insurance policies will reimburse you for the cost of a rental auto following a waiting period (only if the auto is stolen), providing that you have purchased Rental Reimbursement Coverage. 10. Does my insurance company have to pay if special equipment on my auto is damaged? Most auto policies only cover items that were factory installed. Specialized equipment will not be covered unless you bought special coverage for those items.
11. I had personal property in my auto when my auto was damaged/ stolen. Will it be covered? If you had personal items, such as clothing, luggage or gifts stolen from or damaged while in your auto, your Auto Policy would not normally provide coverage. You need to consult with your insurance company to see if optional coverage is available, or if any coverage is included within your policy. Coverage for personal property that is damaged or stolen may be provided by your Homeowners or Tenant Owners Policy. 12. My insurance company and I can't seem to agree on the amount of my loss. What can I do? If you and your insurance company can not agree on the amount of loss to your vehicle, either of you may request an appraisal. This process is referenced in your policy. 13. Who decides who is at fault and how much is owed? New Hampshire has a "comparative negligence" law. This means that some level of negligence can be assigned to more than one party involved in an accident. Under this law, you can only collect for damages from the other driver’s insurance company if you are 50% or less at fault for the accident. The settlement can then be affected by the percentage you were at fault. You can always make a claim directly with your insurance company if you have the appropriate coverage and let them sort out the issues of negligence with the other driver’s insurance company. 14. What if the other driver’s insurance company denies my claim or I disagree with their settlement offer? If the other driver's insurance company denies your claim or you disagree with their offer, the options available would be to make a claim under your own policy or pursue a legal remedy. 15. When can an insurance company consider my auto a "total loss"? When the repair cost approaches or is more than the actual cash value (or market value) of the auto, the auto is usually declared a "total loss."
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