I moved to the United States about a year ago. Not long after, I became the victim of a car accident that opened my eyes to the American insurance system. Until then, I had a pretty vague idea of how the auto insurance system worked. I gained more knowledge pretty quickly, which helped salvage this incident. And here’s a little summary of what happened.
It all started on one Tuesday evening after dark, when the rain had just finished falling. In fact, it had been raining all week. I was returning home from the grocery store and by now, the road was pretty slippery, so I had to be pretty careful. I cautiously navigated through a section of the road, and then I heard a bang! My car jerked about 50 yards forward with speed. By the time I regained control, I was drifting into an empty grazing field.
I managed to bring the vehicle to a halt by the side of the road. I was quite shaken. The next thing I did was check myself for any injuries; I had a scratch on my arm which was nothing. I checked to see the damage done to the car’s rear; the bumper, the trunk, and the rear window were badly damaged. I was lucky it wasn’t any worse. I then got out of my car and walked over angrily. As it turned out, I had been hit by a young lady in her mid-20s. Her front bumper and lights were done. Fortunately, she was okay.
The next thing I did was call the police to explain the situation as clearly as I could. An officer was sent over to make sure we were both fine. I felt slightly disoriented. I was taken care of and dropped off at home.
The first thing to do when filing a claim after an auto accident is to capture and supply thorough information about the accident to the insurance company to start the claims process. This includes details regarding the accident such as date and location; the extent of injuries and damage to the parties and vehicles; road signs and the sides of the road of each driver; the number of passengers, how the accident happened, the other driver’s insurance information, name of the police department, and police report number.
The officer had filed a report at the scene, which he explained would be necessary for insurance claims. Filling a compensation claim was pretty straightforward, as I had found the Best Insurance Agent in Marina Del Ray. The claim was filed after a few days. They worked with me to accurately evaluate the claim and complete it as quickly as possible.
Some states considered ”no-fault” states will let your insurance cover for up to a specific limit for injury, car damage, and related claims. This will apply to the other driver as well. I hadn’t even thought of that. Even though it’s considered illegal in all states to drive without a specific amount of insurance, some people still do it.
It is risky to drive without car insurance in a state that requires it, as you’ll pay for your medical expenses and damage and for the other driver’s injuries and damages if you are at fault. You could also be sued by the other party, issued a ticket, face jail time, and face future problems getting affordable insurance rates when you eventually shop for a policy.
If you are in need of insurance coverage, give Byron Galindo a call today:
Byron Galindo – State Farm Insurance Agent
214 Pier Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405
