How to make a claim?

In Singapore, having a car insurance is important and driving without one is illegal and dangerous for you. Purchasing a good auto insurance plan is good, and it'll keep you protected in time of disaster. But having an affordable insurance plan with a top-notch auto insurance company is not all you need to drive safely in Singapore. 50% of people do not know how to make a claim! don't be one of them. Let's first take a look at the consequences you can face for not knowing how to make a claim.

There are many risks involved in not knowing how to make a claim, one of them is you might exceed the given time to make a claim by your insurance company while contemplating on doing so. If you are involved in an accident and you are the victim, the other driver might not want to pay for the damages caused therefore you might end up fixing your car yourself and accumulating more expenses that could have easily been covered by your insurance company. In another scenario, where you are the one at fault, if you don't know how to make a claim you can end up being overcharged for damages caused to the victim especially if you cause any injuries to passers-by. Let's say you manage to make a claim, it might be too late and it could take longer to get your car back on the road. This leads us to the question; how do I make a claim?

Making a claim isn’t difficult in any way as far as you know your way around the whole process. here are a few steps to take when filing a claim.

Don’t hesitate, don’t wait for the other driver to agree on who is at fault or not, submit the claim report in not more than 24 hours after the accident occurred.

Take pictures of the accident scene and everyone involved in it for the sake of evidence. sometimes determining who is at fault can be tricky so taking photos will help serve as strong proof of what really went wrong.

Put down all the details of the other driver and those involved in the accident, things like the driver's name and any other person involved, the address of the driver and every other person involved, NRIC numbers, contact numbers and the car insurance company of all the cars involved in the collision.

Report the accident to your insurer and get all the information you need based on the type of package you have, you are entitled to different coverage plans. They will help you submit all the necessary information and evidence (which you gathered earlier). You will also be provided with forms to fill in order to get the processing of the claim started.

After this, start making plans to get your car fixed. It is advisable you take the damaged car to the insurer's authorized repair shop so as to avoid complications and also speed up the process.

In the meantime, you should rent a car and get back on the road while your car is being fixed. make sure you check your insurance details to know if it covers car rental.

Knowing all the steps above is important but no one is above mistakes when it comes to making claims. Don’t rush things, at the same time, don’t delay the process. here are a few common mistakes people make when filing a claim.

One big mistake most drivers make before filing a claim is moving the vehicle off the accident scene too soon or when it's not really necessary. This is not safe because you could tamper with some vital evidence and allow the other driver to deny any faults caused by him. If it is highly necessary to move your car due to traffic, then ensure you take all the necessary photos of the accident scene and those involved.

Delay in filing a claim is also another big mistake you can make. the risks have been discussed earlier and you are prone to suffer all those consequences if you don’t act fast.

Little knowledge of your insurance plan can also have you making some terrible mistakes. Each type of insurance package differs, so does the benefits attached to it. Go through your insurance policy to get accustomed to all the benefits.

Arguing with the other driver on whose fault the accident is, isn’t necessary but happens most times. Instead of wasting your time and provoking each other, get the important details you need and contact your insurer.

It’s not uncommon for drivers to try fixing their cars at unauthorized repair shops but that's another bad idea. Why? This is because using unauthorized repair shops can be prohibited by your insurer, would usually cost more and might as well take more time to finish fixing the car.

The last common mistake is; not following up the process. Sometimes after a claim has been filed the insurance company might need a few details to continue the procedure and this could lead to some delay, usually because you didn’t call to ask how it’s going and all. Always ensure to keep in touch with your insurer throughout the whole process.

With this knowledge, you seize to be among the ignorant 50% of people who don’t know how to file a claim. this is basically all you need to know on making a claim. You can be a very careful driver but always remember that you aren't the only one using the road and you could be the victim. So, in order to avoid sad situations, get insured today.