Reader’s Question:

I had recently been in a small accident. No one was injured, but my car has a few scratches. How soon should I file a car insurance claim?

Jet

Indianapolis, IN

When it comes to filing a claim from your car insurance provider, it is always best to do it as soon as possible. The statute of limitations for filing a claim is different for each state. You can contact the Indiana Department of Insurance that is located right there in your city to find out exactly what is the acceptable period of time to file a car insurance claim.

Indiana financial responsibility laws mandate that each of its residents driving in its public roads have the minimum liability coverage. It is probably safe to assume that you at least have this coverage in your car insurance policy. It is fortunate therefore that no one was injured in your small accident. So, you really don’t have to worry about anything in terms of medical expenses.

You did mention however that you car sustained a few scratches. But you didn’t mention who was declared at fault. Knowing who was at fault is essential as Indiana uses the tort system. Several things can happen then depending on who caused the accident and whether you have collision and comprehensive coverage. Collision and comprehensive coverage is not required in your state, but it is the type of insurance that pays for damages to your own vehicle. Liability coverage only covers the damage to the other motorist’s car. If you happen to be the one responsible for the accident, and you don’t have collision and comprehensive coverage, then filing a claim becomes moot and academic. If the other party was declared responsible, then his or her liability coverage should be the one to pay for the repairs to your vehicle. If you have collision and comprehensive coverage, anyway, you can forego pursuing the other driver to save time and expense for litigation and just rely on this coverage. However, the simplest way to approach the situation is to honestly assess the damage to your car. If getting a ‘few scratches’ fixed is not going to cost you that much, maybe filing a car insurance claim would be superfluous. Remember that the claims you make are noted down by your car insurance provider. This goes into your claims history and could possibly affect your premiums when the time comes to renew your policy.