Filing an At-Fault Claim Against Another Driver

Driver’s insurance pay for the repairs and medical expenses incurred from the incident. The police report must document who was at fault for the accident, and if the insurance providers involved come to an agreement, then your insurance generally will stay the same and you will be off the hook for the charges. In order for this to happen, third-party insurance claims Oregon policyholders have will need to be filed.

Determine Who is at Fault

The first step in working towards a third-party claim is having the accident scene properly documented. The police need to be called and an official reported created. Rather than a verbal back and forth using he-said-she-said, the accident report can be a non-biased assessment documenting who is at fault for the accident. There are different laws across the states that play a role in claiming insurance coverage where the other driver has been deemed to be at fault.

Have Your Paperwork

To file a third-party claim, you will work directly with the at-fault driver’s insurance. You can rely on your own insurance agent to walk you through the process and tell you what kind of information you will need. You should start a file as soon as the accident happens that keeps all your documentation and paperwork in place. Have the at-fault driver’s name, as well as the name of the insurance provider and policy number. Make sure to get your own copy of the accident report. You should have also gathered contact information for any injured passengers or eyewitnesses at the accident. Photos of the damage and accident scene should be in the file as well. Any medical documentation and details of post-accident experiences should also be in the file.

A third-party claim generally works like a claim submitted through your own insurance. It could take longer for a claim to be paid, given the complexities of the process.