How To Make an Auto Insurance Claim in Michigan
Reader’s Question:
What should I do in case my car gets damaged in an accident? Are there any things to remember when making vehicle insurance claims Michigan?
Walt
Ann Arbor, MI
Remember that you have to immediately document your vehicle insurance claim the moment that your vehicle gets damaged resulting from a covered event. Immediately contact your insurance firm and inform them of what happened to your insured vehicle. Get the name of the personnel who has been assigned to your claim, take note of his contact details and your claim number.
Take pictures of the vehicle, particularly on the area which was damaged. If you can take a video of the damage, that would be better. Keep all the receipts and documents attesting to cost estimates of repairs. Likewise, gather all the documents that your insurance company sent you in the past. Keep all forms of communication with your insurer.
It also helps if you have a witness of the accident so that you can expedite the vehicle insurance claims Michigan. Record his or her contact information and record a statement from your witness.
In short, keep everything documented. The more documents and papers you have to back claim, the better chances you have of getting vehicle insurance claims Michigan.
Will Auto Insurance Policy in Michigan Cover Out of State Claim?
Reader’s Question:
In a couple of months, I am planning to move to PA. My present address is in Battle Creek, MI where my family lives and I intend to keep my car insurance here. My dad told me that my insurance policy won’t be honored once I moved to PA and if ever I get into an accident, he can be sued? Is this true?
Nicole
Battle Creek, MI
First thing you have to do is to speak with your car insurance agent regarding your plan to move to Pennsylvania. The car insurer can tell you if you would still remain on your dad’s policy but usually the answer is no. In cases where you move away from home, especially out of state, and since the car is no longer garaged at the household address listed on the policy, an insurance provider will likely no longer carry you and the vehicle on the current policy.
Normally, car insurance companies will follow the limits set by the state where you’re operating a vehicle in cases where you are only visiting or are driving through a state and not when you have moved there for good. If you fail to inform your insurance company regarding moving out of state, or properly changing your coverages over to PA insurance, this would likely be taken as misrepresentation by the Michigan insurer which is a form of auto insurance fraud and is a reason to deny your insurance claims.
If your car insurance did not accept the claim and/or if your car insurance limits were too low and exceeded, your father, both you as the driver and your father as the car owner could be held liable and sued. Your father may face a serious liability putting his assets at risk so make sure that your liability limits are sufficiently high enough.
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