If you have been involved in an accident that has left your commercial vehicle damaged, you will need to file a claim just as you would in a personal vehicle. The process is not that much difference but the insurance coverage may be different and you may need to get a company representative involved in your vehicle is owned by a corporation or business. If you are the business owner, you will likely handle the claim yourself.

Get the Damage Documented

Anytime you are involved in an accident or collision that causes damage to your vehicle, you should get as much documentation of the incident as you can. Pictures, a police report, and third party documentation will all help when you sit down with the insurance adjuster to explain what happened. It is sometimes better for you to have an explanation of the incident from a third party in these cases and a police report is your first line of defense.

Get Repair Estimates

After any incident that involves your commercial vehicle, getting the damaged repaired and the vehicle back on the road is one of your first priorities. A commercial vehicle is often part of the day to day operation of your business and if it is sitting, it is not doing its job. You will need to get several repair estimates from different repair shops and don't be surprised if the insurance company wants you to go with the cheapest one but make sure you have all the damage on the estimate so nothing gets missed. Take the time to have the vehicle checked closely by a mechanic and don't be afraid to let the insurance company know if damage is found that was missed by the adjuster.

Be Prepared for the Premium Increase

Anytime you are involved in a collision or accident that involved property damage to a vehicle, the insurance company is likely to raise your premiums. In the case of commercial insurance, it is even more likely because the vehicle is on the road so much more than a personal vehicle. The law of averages comes into play here so be prepared that once that claim is filed, the result could be an increase in the cost to you. The exception is, if you have not had any accidents in the past, or if the company does not have any prior claims, the insurance carrier may take that into consideration.

Determination of Liability

When filing your claim, damage to property may be considered differently that a traffic collision. If you hit a sign, damages a loading dock with a truck, or somehow damaged other property, the insurance company may take the environment, the weather, previous damage to the same item or location or other factors outside your accident into consideration. If you hit a pole with a commercial truck and that pole has been hit ten times that year, the insurance company may want to place the liability back on the company that owns the pole. Be sure to be clear so they can determine if the incident was your fault of not.

To learn more about the process, contact services like Metropolitan Insurance Service Consultants.

Share